The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, has requested that the Supreme Court permit him to present fresh evidence to support his claim that President Bola Tinubu submitted forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku emphasized the seriousness of a candidate presenting forged documents and stated, “Presenting forged documents by any candidate, especially by a candidate for the highest office in the land, is a very grave constitutional issue that must not be encouraged.”
The legal battle between Atiku and Tinubu has reached the international level, with Atiku obtaining court orders in the United States to compel Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records. Atiku and his legal team have argued that Tinubu forged the documents submitted to INEC.
However, Tinubu’s camp has dismissed the claim and characterized Atiku’s efforts to obtain evidence as fruitless. Tinubu’s lawyer also argued that the academic records obtained in the US would not be admissible in the Supreme Court of Nigeria, where Atiku is challenging Tinubu’s electoral victory.
Tinubu’s camp has urged the Supreme Court to reject Atiku’s application for leave to submit the documents, describing it as a “crass abuse of court processes.”
In his response on the point of law, Atiku urged the court to set aside technicalities and grant his application. He argued that the issue of merit should not be decided at the interlocutory stage and that refusing to allow him to tender the document would be an undue technicality.
Atiku emphasized the court’s duty to ensure substantial justice and stated, “The need to rebuff, eschew, and reject technicality and the duty of the court to ensure substantial justice is very germane in this matter, given the gravity of the constitutional issue involved.”
Atiku clarified that his stance was not whether Tinubu attended Chicago State University but rather whether he presented a forged certificate to INEC.
The legal battle between the two presidential candidates continues, and the Supreme Court will ultimately determine the outcome.
Stay tuned for updates on this legal dispute.