The Supreme Court has rejected the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s motion to file President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago State University document as fresh evidence.
The presiding justice of the panel, John Okoro, ruled the application of the applicant was refused and rejected.
Also absent in court is President Bola Tinubu, the then-presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) whose victory is being challenged at the apex court.
Following the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the keenly contested election, Atiku and Obi approached the Tribunal to contest the outcome.
After about seven months of legal fireworks, the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) in Abuja, affirmed Tinubu’s electoral victory.
In its ruling on September 6, the Tribunal held that the petitioner —PDP and its candidate Atiku— did not successfully prove the allegations against this ground and indeed all the grounds in their petition.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, leader of the five-man panel, said, “This petition accordingly lacks merit. I affirm the return of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The parties are to bear their cost.”
Not satisfied with the ruling, Atiku and Obi approached the Supreme Court to appeal the tribunal’s judgment.
The apex court at its last sitting on Wednesday fixed Thursday, October 26 for its verdict on the appeals filed by Atiku and Obi.
The seven justices who will take the landmark decision are Inyang Okoro, Uwani Abba-Aji, Lawal Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Abubakar Tijjani and Emmanuel Akomaye Agim
The verdict will be the final court decision on the disputes over the election and mark the end of a two-stage judicial battle, the first part of which was decided by the presidential election court in favour of inibu, which was further challenged at the Supreme Court.
