The Supreme Court in Abuja is set to begin the hearing of the long-drawn court proceeding of the presidential election between Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and President Bola Tinubu of the APC.
Following the verdict of the appellate court last month ruling out the motion to disqualify the president, Atiku, Peter Obi, and the APM, filed separate appeals at the apex court seeking to nullify the election of President Tinubu on multiple grounds.
The legal fireworks are set to be ignited today at the highest court of the land as the court unveils a seven-member team that will adjudicate and determine the case.
The Supreme Court communicated the hearing date through notices sent to all the parties, last Thursday.
In addition to contesting the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which upheld Tinubu’s election, Atiku also applied for approval to present a copy of Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University (CSU), USA.
Atiku alleged that these records revealed Tinubu had submitted a counterfeit CSU certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The former vice president is also pursuing legal action in a Washington, D.C. court to demand the release of documents concerning President Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture case by the FBI.
Atiku, Obi’s Appeal to the Supreme Court
Both appellants are separately beseeching the highest court to annul the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which validated Tinubu from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the February 25 presidential election.
Atiku and his team, which included 67 lawyers, with 18 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, submitted 35 grounds of appeal to contest Tinubu’s victory.
Atiku has also sought permission to provide a copy of Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University (CSU), USA.
He alleges that these records expose Tinubu for allegedly submitting a fraudulent CSU certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku, who came second in the election, is now seeking to overturn the judgment delivered by Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the PEPC.
This panel had dismissed their petitions against Tinubu on September 6.
Atiku contended that the verdict of the PEPC was not only “against the weight of evidence” but occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice against him.
Moreover, in his court petition, Atiku not only seeks a declaration in his favour as the authentic winner of the election and his swearing-in as President but also presents an alternative request for a runoff election against Tinubu or the nullification of the entire poll, with INEC being ordered to conduct a fresh election. The respondents in this case include INEC, Tinubu, and the APC.
On his part, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi through his team of lawyers, led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, filed 51 grounds of appeal before the Supreme Court.
In his appeal, Obi argued that the PEPC panel erred in law and thereby reached a wrong conclusion when it dismissed his petition.
- “The learned justices of the court below erred in law and occasioned a miscarriage of justice when they concluded that he failed to establish the allegation of corrupt practices and over-voting,” Obi said.
APC’s Response to the Allegations
Meanwhile, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, has accused Atiku and Obi’s followers of attempting to “stampede the Washington, D.C. court to change its earlier order on FBI to release documents on President Tinubu’s forfeiture case of 1993.”
Taking to his X (Twitter) account, Onanuga stated the following:
- “The Obidients and Atiku Abubakar’s followers have begun another round of propaganda and campaign of falsehood over the move Friday by Atiku-Obi and David Hundeyin’s contractor Aaron Greenspan, to stampede the Washington DC court to change its earlier order on FBI to release documents on President Bola Tinubu’s forfeiture case of 1993.
- “Atiku had wasted tons of dollars hiring Angela Liu to check President Tinubu’s record at Chicago State University.
- What he got in the main was a confirmation that President Tinubu attended the school, passed out with flying colours and did not forge any certificate.
- The February 2023 election losers, Peter Obi and Atiku are now attempting to cling onto another straw, hoping for magic at the Supreme Court.
- “On Thursday, Peter Obi forwarded to Greenspan, the Supreme Court notice of hearing for the appeal that will begin on Monday 23 October.
- We do not know the brief Obi gave Greenspan, but Greenspan rushed to the District Court in the US capital, with an emergency motion asking the court to compel the FBI to produce documents on our President immediately.
- The FBI had earlier agreed to produce the documents at the end of October. His motion may be heard on Monday 23 October, if all parties agree.
- “To support his motion, the American made some allegations against the judiciary in Nigeria, as fed by Hundeyin, Obi and Atiku.
- He claimed the Supreme Court hearing date which he labelled as sudden, was intended to front-run the release of the FBI documents.
- To him, the FBI documents are relevant to the case in Nigeria. After reading Greenspan’s motion, one is left with the impression that the guy is very ignorant of our laws and our democracy and he is nothing but an interloper, in a matter clearly outside US jurisdiction.”
