The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, failed to present credible evidence to support his claim that the presidential election was rigged in favor of President Bola Tinubu.
Additionally, the APC has criticized the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi asserting that their evidence against President Tinubu was insufficient and lacked credibility.
Both Atiku and Obi, along with their respective parties, had filed a case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to challenge the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.
Presenting its final brief of argument through its team of lawyers led by Lateef Fagbemi, the APC argued that Atiku and the PDP were not entitled to the reliefs they were seeking in their petition.
The APC claimed that the petitioners merely submitted documents to the court and asserted that these documents were enough evidence to prove their allegations. However, the party contended that the petitioners failed to establish a clear connection between the documents and the specific allegations raised against Tinubu’s victory.
“The fact that the documents were tendered by learned senior counsel for the petitioners from the bar makes the case even worse for them,” the APC stated, adding that the duty to examine the documents should not fall solely on the judge.
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The party further argued that the petitioners’ allegations of election rigging were not tied to specific polling units in the local government areas of the 24 states where they contested the election. The APC insisted that the allegations needed to be supported by cogent, credible, and reliable evidence.
Regarding the educational qualification of President Tinubu, the APC contended that the exhibits presented in court proved that he attended Chicago State University in the United States and graduated with honors. The party also maintained that the petitioners failed to produce the genuine certificate from which the alleged forged certificate was made.
On the alleged forfeiture of $460,000 due to Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a drug-related case, the APC stated that there was no evidence to support such claims, as he was never charged, convicted, or fined for any criminal case.
Addressing the allegation of dual citizenship, the APC argued that Tinubu’s possession of a Guinean passport was not sufficient grounds to disqualify him from contesting the election.
The PEPC concluded the hearing on Atiku’s petition on July 4, as the respondents completed their defense. Atiku and the PDP, who came second in the election, sought to nullify Tinubu’s election and revoke the certificate of return issued to him.
The APC, however, found no need to call any witnesses, stating that it saw no reason to continue pursuing the matter.
(omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
