INEC Asks Supreme Court To Dismiss Atiku’s Request To Present Tinubu’s Academic Records

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the request by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to present President Bola Tiubu’s academic records.

Recall the INEC had declared Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the keenly contested 2023 presidential election. His victory was also affirmed by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

However, Atiku and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, as well as the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) are all challenging Tinubu’s victory in separate petitions at the Supreme Court.

The PDP flag bearer and his lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, described the matter as a grave and constitutional matter while appealing to the court to adopt the application and grant their request.

Presenting his argument, he said, “The issue involving Mr Tinubu’s certificate is a weighty, grave, and constitutional one, which the Supreme Court should admit. I urge the court to admit the fresh evidence of President Tinubu’s academic records from CSU presented by Atiku.”

However, the INEC lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Atiku’s application seeking to present Tinubu’s academic records.

Also, Tinubu’s lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, argued that INEC should have been a party at the deposition proceedings in the US, noting that the CSU depositions are dormant until the deponent comes to court and testify.

He told the court that Atiku cannot seek fresh evidence at the Supreme Court.