Tinubu, APC Close Defence Before Tribunal, Details Of Possible Outcome Emerges

The ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu last week closed their defence barely after they opened it, in two separate petitions challenging their victory at the February 25, 2023 presidential poll.

The question is, has the evidence of the sole witness done substantial justice in defence of the petitions? Hot News reports.

Whether the task before lawyers representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC), is simple or insurmountable is not certain.

However, what is certain is that the job is truly not an enviable one.

This is so because Tinubu’s continued stay in office as president squarely rest on their shoulders as well as the quality and evidence of witnesses presented in defence of their victory at the February 25, 2023 presidential poll.

The PREPEC had on June 23, adjourned to July 3 for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to open their defence in the petitions filed by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).

Atiku and Obi are among three petitioners seeking the nullification of Tinubu’s election as president over alleged irregularities, corrupt practices and non-compliance with the electoral laws during the conduct of the last presidential election.

The other petitioner, the Allied People’s Movement ( APM) had closed its case two days earlier after calling only one witness to prove its claim that Tinubu ought not to be on the ballot over alleged double nomination of his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima and one Kabir Masari, who was initially a “place holder” Vice President nominee.

Specifically, the APM in its petition marked: CA/PEPC/04/2023, is contending that the withdrawal of Kabiru Masari, who was initially nominated as the vice presidential candidate of the APC invalidated Tinubu’s candidacy in view of Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

However, after the APM closed its case, the respondents who took turn to cross examine the witness, announced that they would not be calling any witness in defence of the election but would rather rely on the May 26, 2023 judgment of the Supreme Court, which according to them, has put to rest every thing surrounding the nomination of the Vice President.

Based on this, the five-member panel of the PREPEC led by Justice Haruna Tsammani then fixed July 14 for parties to adopt their final written addresses in the petition.

Meanwhile, Atiku and Obi before closing their individual petitions called in a total of 40 witnesses to substantiate their allegations against the February 25 presidential poll that returned Tinubu of the APC as president.

Atiku and Obi’s grouse is that INEC failed to transmit election results in real-time as promised by its Chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood.

They also submitted that Tinubu ought not to be on the ballot over alleged perjury, discrepancies in his academic records in addition to alleged criminal forfeiture.