The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the previous presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has once again appealed to the Supreme Court to disregard technicalities and grant his request for permission to present new and additional evidence to support his claim that President Bola Tinubu submitted a forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to participate in the presidential election held on February 25.
Atiku’s request is based on the argument that the presentation of forged documents by any candidate, especially a candidate for the highest office in the country, is a serious constitutional matter that should not be condoned.
During a Senate confirmation session, he stated that he had been targeted by political opponents in the run-up to the 2023 general elections. He recounted a baseless petition filed against him and his response, which was leaked by the former EFCC Chairman to an online news platform, Sahara Reporters.
In response to Tinubu’s objections to granting Atiku permission to present new evidence before the Supreme Court, Atiku argued that issues of merit should not be addressed or determined at the preliminary stage. He emphasized the need to reject undue technicalities and ensure substantial justice, particularly given the gravity of the constitutional issue at stake – whether a presidential candidate submitted a forged certificate.
Atiku also refuted Tinubu’s claim that he was inconsistent in his names, deeming it irrelevant since there was no petition challenging his qualification. He further emphasized that the presentation of a forged certificate disqualifies a candidate permanently, regardless of when it was presented.
In his response, Atiku stated that the case revolved around whether Tinubu presented a forged certificate to INEC, not whether he attended Chicago State University. He referenced a National Youth Service Corps certificate with a different name presented by Tinubu, which had been tendered during the trial.