BREAKING: Supreme Court Rejects Atiku’s Bid to Present Fresh Evidence Against Tinubu
The Supreme Court has dismissed the application by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, seeking permission to introduce new evidence in support of his appeal.
Atiku had requested the apex court’s permission to submit credentials allegedly obtained from Chicago State University, aiming to establish that the president had forged documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This matter came before a seven-member panel presided over by Justice John Okoro on Monday. The admissibility of the new documents became the focal point of the proceedings.
In the courtroom, Chris Uche, SAN, the lead counsel for Atiku, passionately argued for the documents’ admission, asserting that the forgery allegations against the president constituted a critical constitutional issue warranting the Supreme Court’s scrutiny.
Conversely, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, representing Tinubu, urged the court not to accept the fresh evidence, contending that INEC was not a party to this development.
Delivering the lead judgment on Thursday, Justice Okoro noted that the application had been filed after the legally prescribed 180-day deadline had elapsed.
He emphasized that the court lacked the authority to activate section 22 of the Supreme Court Act for admitting new evidence.
Justice Okoro stated, “The leave cannot be granted. We do not have the vires to grant it. There is no paragraph in the petition that indicates forgery. It would float on the appeal if it should be admitted.
“They (petitioners) were tardy and not diligent enough. This does not fit into the determination of this appeal. It is hereby refused and dismissed. “
