The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has submitted new evidence to the Supreme Court of Nigeria challenging the qualifications of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
Atiku, a former Vice President, has presented fresh evidence claiming that the Diploma Certificate from the Chicago State University (CSU) that Tinubu used to qualify for the election is allegedly forged.
In a motion on notice filed by Atiku’s legal team, led by Chris Uche SAN, he has requested the Supreme Court to use its Order 2 Rule 12 of 1985 to admit this new evidence regarding certificate forgery and perjury in support of his pending appeal. Atiku aims to ensure that justice is served in his case.
The respondents in the motion are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The motion is grounded on several factors, mainly involving the release of academic records from Tinubu, evidence from the Registrar of the Chicago State University in a United States court, and the deposition of the same witness concerning the Diploma Certificate presented to INEC for election eligibility purposes.
Other grounds include Atiku’s assertion that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election as required by the Nigerian Constitution. Atiku’s legal team also mentioned their efforts to obtain academic records from the Chicago State University, which required legal action in the United States.
This motion seeks to add a new deposition as evidence, as the deposition was made after the conclusion of the trial at the lower court, and it was not available to be presented at the trial.
The case revolves around the presentation of an allegedly forged certificate to INEC by a presidential candidate, making it a significant constitutional matter for consideration by the courts.
The motion is supported by an affidavit and other relevant documents.
As of now, a hearing date for this motion has not been scheduled.