PEPT admits, marks Tinubu’s academic certificates in evidence as exhibits from Atiku, PDP
Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPC) in Abuja, Friday, admitted admitted in evidence a transcript in aid of admission into the Chicago State University made by South West College in the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was identified as a female gender.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had tendered the document to prove the allegations in their joint petition challenging Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
Other documents tendered and in evidence and admitted as exhibits by the court are a certified true copy (CTC) of a certificate supposedly issued to Tinubu by the Chicago State University, a Discharge Certificate issued by the National Youth Services Corps (NYSC) in the name of Tinubu Bola Adekunle, (not Bola Ahmed Tinubu) Party membership card and certificate of service from Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc.
Other documents tendered by the petitioners, urging the court to nullify Tinubu’s victory include; the authorised judgment of the USA District Court for criminal forfeiture of assets of Tinubu, as well as a printout of a Guinean International passport belonging to the said Tinubu.
Also tendered documents were a certificate of compliance, and a witness statement on oath.
The lead counsel to the petitioners, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), while leading the 27th witness of the petitioners, Mr Mike Enahoro-Eba, subpoenaed to testify in court, tendered the documents through the witness, who is an Abuja-based human rights activist and public interest lawyer.
Counsels to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), Tinubu, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) and the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) all objected to the admissibility of the documents as tendered.
However, in spite of the stiff opposition, Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, admitted all the documents as exhibits.
Tinubu, INEC, and APC, who are the three respondents in the petition, are to offer explanations for their objections to the admission of the exhibits at the final stage of addressing the proceedings.
The subpoenaed witness, Mr Mike Enahoro-Eba was cross-examined by counsels to INEC, Tinubu, and APC, respectively.
The petitioners, earlier in the proceedings, tendered certified true copies of Form EC8As, being results of the presidential election from polling units from six states of the Federation.
A breakdown of the documents are, Form EC8As from 25 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Delta state, Forms EC8As from 13 LGAs of Ebonyi state, Form EC8As from 18 LGAs of Edo, from 17 LGAs of Enugu, from 27 LGAs of Imo state and Form EC8As from 21 LGAs of Kogi state.
The court, however, admitted the documents and marked them as exhibits.
Counsel to PDP and Atiku Mr Chris Uche SAN applied for the closing of the case and expressed gratitude for the time allotted them to present their case.
Consequently, Justice Haruna Simon Tsamani adjourned to Monday, July 3, 2023, for the respondents (INEC, Tinubu, Shettima, and APC) to commence their defence.
