The Supreme Court has rejected the request made by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, to introduce new evidence in support of his appeal.
Atiku had sought permission from the highest court to present Tinubu’s academic credentials from Chicago State University as proof that the president had submitted forged documents to INEC.
The proceedings, presided over by a seven-member panel led by Justice John Okoro, revolved around arguments regarding the admissibility of this new evidence.
Chris Uche, the lead counsel for Atiku, emphasized the gravity of the forgery allegation against the president as a significant constitutional issue that the apex court should address.
On the other hand, Wole Olanipekun, the counsel for Tinubu, argued against admitting the fresh documents, noting that INEC was not involved in the matter.
In his lead judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Okoro cited that the application was filed after the legally prescribed 180-day period had elapsed.
He stated that the court lacked the authority to activate section 22 of the Supreme Court Act to admit new evidence, adding that there was no mention of forgery in the appeal’s petition.
As a result, the court ruled that the request could not be granted, considering it untimely and lacking the necessary basis, thus refusing and dismissing it.
