Tinubu In Trouble camp As Atiku’s Fresh Message To Supreme Court Surface
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 presidential election, has once again urged the Supreme Court to set aside technicalities and grant his request to present new and additional evidence supporting his assertion that President Bola Tinubu submitted forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku emphasized that the submission of forged documents, especially by a candidate vying for the highest office in the nation, constitutes a serious constitutional matter that should not be condoned.
The former Vice President made this assertion in his legal response to Tinubu’s objection to granting Atiku permission to introduce this fresh evidence before the highest court.
President Tinubu based his objection on jurisdictional grounds and argued that matters of qualification are pre-election issues, among other points. He subsequently urged the court to deny the application.
In contesting President Tinubu’s stance, Atiku argued that matters of substance should not be decided or pronounced upon during the preliminary stages.
The appellants/applicants emphasized that, at this juncture, they are simply seeking the Supreme Court’s permission to receive this new evidence and stated that refusing this permission, as the respondents have argued, would be excessively focused on technicalities.
Meanwhile, in a 20-paragraph affidavit submitted in support of the application, Atiku contended that if the apex court grants the request, there would be no need for “any further argument other than the written address in support of the same, demonstrating that the 2nd Respondent is in violation of the provisions of Section 137 (1) (j) of the Constitution by presenting a certificate disclaimed by the institution from which he purportedly obtained it.”
Atiku also countered President Tinubu’s assertion that he was inconsistent in his names, dismissing the claim as irrelevant and trivial, as there is no petition contesting his qualification. Additionally, Atiku underscored that the presentation of a forged certificate permanently disqualifies a candidate, regardless of when it was presented.
