In the ongoing legal battle following the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has submitted new evidence to the Supreme Court. Atiku is appealing against the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court.
Atiku’s legal team, led by Chief Chris Uche, presented the academic records of President Bola Tinubu as fresh evidence for consideration in their appeal. The former Vice-President argued that the submission of a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by a candidate is a significant constitutional matter that the Supreme Court must examine.
According to Atiku, the issue at hand is not just about electoral disputes but also about constitutional matters of fairness and justice. He cited previous decisions by the apex court, emphasizing the court’s responsibility to ensure justice is served fairly and equitably.
In an affidavit supporting the appeal, it was stated that the certificate presented by President Tinubu to INEC, which supported his qualification to contest the presidential election, had been declared inauthentic by Chicago State University (CSU) in the United States. The CSU documents were handed over to Atiku on October 2, 2023, following an order by Judge Nancy Maldonado of the District Court of Illinois, Eastern Division, Illinois, USA.
Atiku’s legal team argued that this new evidence was essential to establish the allegation that President Tinubu presented a forged certificate to INEC. If proven true, it could render President Tinubu unqualified to have contested the election under Section 137(1)(j) of the Nigerian Constitution.
In response, Chief Chris Uche asserted that the Supreme Court had the authority, jurisdiction, and discretion to grant an application for presenting additional evidence on appeal. He claimed that granting the application would serve the cause of justice in the matter, which challenged President Tinubu’s qualification to run for the presidency.
As of now, the Supreme Court has not set a date for the hearing of this motion.
Presidency Accuses Atiku of Misinformation and Intimidation of Judiciary
In response to Atiku Abubakar’s actions, the Presidency accused the former Vice President of spreading misinformation and attempting to provide false hope to his supporters. The Presidency argued that Atiku was disregarding the deposition made by the Registrar of Chicago State University, Caleb Westberg, which confirmed that President Tinubu graduated from the university in 1979 and is Nigeria’s current President.
Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, described Atiku’s actions as desperate attempts to influence public opinion and intimidate the judiciary. Ajayi emphasized that the judiciary would decide the case based on the law and not public sentiment.
The Presidential aide also pointed out that Atiku had the right to present his case at the Supreme Court but stressed that Atiku would not be the one to decide the outcome of his own case. Ajayi argued that Atiku was trying to manipulate public perception and undermine confidence in the judiciary.
The legal battle between Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu continues to be a high-stakes and contentious issue in Nigerian politics, with both sides vigorously defending their positions.