Two Presidential candidates, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) on Friday closed their cases against the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 25 February 2023 Presidential election. The petitioners tendered documents on Tinubu’s university education, NYSC certificate and the US indictment of Tinubu in the United States.

In all, there was no evidence of alternative results to what has been declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but arguments were canvassed that there were hiccups in the conduct of the election and especially in the failure of INEC to upload the results to its Results Viewing Portal known as IREV.

Respondents in the two petitions namely, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress (APC) will on 3rd July open their defence in the two cases.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)standard bearer in the 25 February Presidential Election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his party, the PDP on Friday heightened his determination to upturn the verdict of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which gave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu victory in the election by tendering nine documents to prove his case that President Tinubu was not fit and proper for the number one political position in the country.

A Subpoenaed witness, Mr. Mike Enahoro-Ebah Esq., the 27th prosecution witness in his Evidence- in -Chief led by Alhaji Abubakar’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche tendered two letters he wrote to INEC requesting for Forms EC13A and EC9 being nomination forms of the second respondent (Tinubu), the receipt of payment with letter from INEC, Form EC 9,being nomination affidavit in support of particulars of Tinubu Bola Ahmed.

Other certified documents tendered are the Chicago State University certificate, Certificate of National service in the name of Tinubu Bola Adekunle, Party membership card and certificate of service of Mobil Oil Nig. Plc.

In addition, the witness tendered the notorized judgement of the United States of America for criminal forfeiture of asset and a notorization and print out of a Guinea passport belonging to the second respondent.

The witness, who is a legal practitioner, told the court that his counsel in the US forward the Chicago documents to him after he had subpoenaed the University.

Mr. Enahoro-Ebah also informed the court that his counsel got a transcript from South West College as contained in paragraph 17 of his written statement on oath. According to him, the gender in the transcript was identified as female.
All the respondents objected to the admissibility of all the documents tendered.

Under cross examination by Lead Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) Mr. A. B. Mahmoud, the witness said he has had not spent a lot of money ” in respect of putting truth to Nigerians. He admitted that his candidate lost in the election and he was unhappy and unpleasing.

Cross-examined by counsel to President Tinubu, the witness admitted that he is not the official custodian of the documents he was subpoenaed to tender adding:” I am not Chicago State University”. He said it was true he instituted a criminal complaint against President Tinubu at a FCT Magistrate court in a suit marked CR/121/2022 adding that Chief Magistrate declined jurisdiction in the case.

Asked whether he bothered to call the Guinean embassy to find out whether President Tinubu renounced the Guinean citizenship, the witness said he didn’t because he read an interview the former Guinea President granted in Sahara Reporter in which the former Guinean leader confirmed President Tinubu’s citizenship of his country.

Chief Olanipekun SAN asked the witness whether the the US judgement was registered in Nigeria, he said the judgement was not registered in Nigeria. The witness also said he was not aware that the US embassy replied a request by the then Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Tafa Balogun requesting to know whether President Tinubu had criminal record in the US and whether he had been convicted previously.

He also said he was not aware that the Chicago State University issued a public notice on 27 June 2022 stating that President Tinubu graduated with an hours degree. Lead Counsel to Alhaji Abubakar and the PDP Chief Uche objected to the tendering of both the US embassy letter and the Chicago State University Press statement.

Under cross examination by Prince Fagbemi, the witness said Chicago State University did not certify the documents he tendered. Earlier, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede counsel to the Petitioners had presented from the bar Certified True Copies (CTC)of Forms EC8A in six states.

They are Delta state (25LGAs), Ebonyi state (13LGAs), Edo state(18LGAs), Enugu state (17LGAs), Imo state (27 LGAs) and Kogi state (23LGAs) Counsels to all the respondents objected to the admissibility of the documents.

Pursuant to Paragraph 46(5) of the 1st schedule of the Electoral Act, Chief Uche closed the case for the petitioners.

Also yesterday, a witness called by the Labour Party (LP) Mr. Yunusa Tanko who is the petitioner’s 12th witness was cross examined after tendering some documents on Thursday. He described the results declared by INEC as allocation of votes and urged the court to void the results in his polling unit.

Asked what would happen to the votes of Alhaji Abubakar who came second in the election, the witness said:” we are challenging the entire result and it affects Atiku Abubakar”.

Another INEC Presiding Officer, Peter Emmanuel Yare who is the Petitioners’ 13th witness said he was not able to upload the presidential result.

Lead Counsel to the Petitioners, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu after the evidence of the 13th witness informed the court that:” my lords, that is the case of the Petitioners”.