The PDP candidate is seeking leave of the apex court to tender Tinubu’s academic records which were handed over to him by the Chicago State University on Monday on the order of the US Court.
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has sought leave of the Supreme Court to tender fresh evidence to prove that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) submitted a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The PDP candidate is seeking leave of the apex court to tender Tinubu’s academic records which were handed over to him by the Chicago State University on Monday on the order of the US Court.
Atiku’s prayers were hinged on Order 2, Rule 12(1) of the Supreme Court Rules 1985, Section 137(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and under the inherent jurisdiction of the Honourable Court as granted by Section 6(6)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Atiku in the application dated October 5, but filed on October 6, specifically prayed the Supreme Court for an order granting him leave “to produce and for the court to receive fresh and additional evidence by way of deposition on oath from the Chicago State University for use in this appeal to wit: the certified discovery deposition made by Caleb Westberg on behalf of Chicago State University on October 3, 2023, disclaiming the certificate presented by the 2nd respondent, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission.”
SaharaReporters had on Thursday reported that Atiku’s legal team listed out at least five issues with the academic credentials submitted by Tinubu which would be tendered as evidence of alleged forgery when the PDP candidate begins its case at the Supreme Court.
The team had highlighted these during a press briefing in Abuja where the former Vice President and his lawyers addressed newsmen on their quest towards bringing out the truth on controversies surrounding the academic records of President Tinubu.
Answering a question regarding what purpose their findings so far would help to serve in their petition against Tinubu’s victory in court, Atiku’s team had said the released documents would be admitted by the Supreme Court and would eventually aid the party’s case towards the nullification of Tinubu’s victory.
One of his team members had said: “On the certificates issued or released By Chicago State University to the lawyers of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. These are the documents. One is that Bola Ahmed Tinubu forged the certificates he presented to INEC. That is one. Two; that the qualifying certificates from Southwest College to Chicago State University bears a female indicating that that document does not belong to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Three, the Chicago State University Admission application form has a claim that Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended Government College Lagos and graduated in 1970 when indeed the school was established in 1974.
“The same document has it that the owner of that document is a black American; and the documents Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to INEC. He denied having dual citizenship, which means it does not belong to him. Then the same document, oral deposition says that the Bola A is Ahmed. But the NYSC certificate Bola Ahmed submitted to INEC has Adekunle, I don’t know where the Adekunle and the Ahmed emerged from.
“So on the second arm of your question, of what use will it be In the Supreme Court? it is very, very clear that’s from the decided authorities, The Supreme Court has held that they can accept a party to adduce fresh evidence as long as certain conditions are met and from what transpired in the proceedings in US courts, that condition has already been met. So as we speak, our law is very clear that a party at fault cannot be allowed to enjoy the fruit of his illegality.”