PDP, Atiku close case against Tinubu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the February 25 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, on Friday closed their case against President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Both parties presented another witness before the tribunal, offering additional evidence.

PDP and Atiku are disputing the declaration of Bola Tinubu as the elected president in the February 25 election.

Their witness, Mike Enahoro-Ebah, presented Tinubu’s academic records and personal details to support their petition against the President.

Led by their counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, the witness, who identified himself as a lawyer and human rights activist, provided a written deposition that he had filed on June 20.

Enahoro-Ebah presented certified copies of the President’s academic qualifications, which were admitted as evidence and marked as an exhibit by the court.

The court further admitted Tinubu’s certificate of service from Mobile Oil Nigeria Plc and a copy of his Guinean Passport as evidence.

Among other pieces of evidence, the witness presented a transcript from South-West College in 1977, indicating that the Tinubu who attended Chicago State University was female.

Enahoro-Ebah informed the court that his attorney in the United States wrote to the schools Tinubu claimed to have attended, obtaining additional information about him, adding that in April 2023, he received a “notarized” judgment related to criminal asset forfeiture proceedings involving Tinubu.

Despite objections from the respondents in the case, namely INEC, Tinubu, and his party, the All Progressives Congress, the court admitted the documents as evidence.

During cross-examination, the witness affirmed that the President held dual citizenship.

When asked by President’s counsel, Wole Olanikpekun, SAN, if he had inquired with the Guinean embassy about Tinubu renouncing his alleged citizenship, the witness responded that the former President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, acknowledged the issuance of the passport.

Meanwhile, the PDP and Atiku concluded their case at the Presidential Election Petition Court after exhausting their allocated time.

Their counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, represented them in this action. Throughout their petition, they called a total of 27 witnesses to support their claims.