In a significant development in the ongoing legal battle, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has submitted crucial evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s alleged forgery to the Supreme Court.
Atiku is seeking to overturn the president’s election victory by presenting compelling evidence of forgery.
On Thursday, Atiku Abubakar approached the apex court, requesting permission to “receive fresh and/or additional evidence by way of deposition on oath from the Chicago State University for use in this appeal.” This evidence pertains to the certified discovery deposition made by Caleb Westberg on behalf of Chicago State University on October 3.
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This deposition explicitly disclaims the authenticity of the certificate presented by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the 2nd respondent, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku’s legal team cited previous instances where President Tinubu’s attorney, Wole Olanipekun, successfully introduced new evidence in high-profile cases. Atiku also argued that the documents he is presenting could not have been obtained earlier due to legal complexities in the United States, where the evidence originates.
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This legal battle began when the presidential elections tribunal, on September 6, dismissed Atiku Abubakar’s petitions, deeming them too weak to challenge the president’s victory. Undeterred, Atiku Abubakar took his quest for evidence to a U.S. federal court, seeking to subpoena Chicago State University for President Tinubu’s educational records. The primary objective was to prove that the diploma submitted by President Tinubu to Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, was indeed a forgery.
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In a sworn deposition, Mr. Westberg, the registrar of Chicago State University, confirmed that President Tinubu attended and graduated from CSU. However, he clarified that the university could not verify the authenticity of the diploma submitted to INEC, as they were not the issuing authority.
Senior attorney Chris Uche, leading Atiku Abubakar’s legal team, has now submitted Mr. Westberg’s deposition to the Supreme Court as a critical piece of evidence. This move is based on legal precedents, as Atiku cited the case of UZODINMA vs. IZUNASO (2011), where the apex court granted permission to admit new evidence in the furtherance of justice.
This submission marks a crucial turn in the ongoing legal battle, as the Supreme Court will now consider this fresh evidence as it evaluates Atiku Abubakar’s appeal. The case remains closely watched, with implications for the political landscape in Nigeria
