Supreme Court dismisses Atiku’s application to tender Tinubu’s CSU certificate as evidence

Supreme Court dismisses Atiku’s application to tender Tinubu’s CSU certificate as evidence

The Supreme Court has refused to admit the certificate from the Chicago State University (CSU) that was presented by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as evidence in his appeal against President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku had obtained the certificate from the CSU after a US court ordered the university to release it to him, despite Tinubu’s objection. Atiku claimed that the certificate would prove that Tinubu was involved in a drug-related case in the US and was fined $460,000.

However, Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) argued that the certificate was inadmissible in law as it was not obtained through proper legal channels. They also contended that the 180-day time limit for hearing the petition had elapsed and that Atiku did not join INEC as an interested party in the US proceedings.

The seven-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, agreed with Tinubu and his co-respondents and dismissed Atiku’s application to tender the certificate. The court reserved its judgement on the main appeal filed by Atiku and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi, to challenge Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.