Supreme Court Dismisses Atiku’s Application to File Fresh Evidence Against Tinubu

Pat Stevens/

The Supreme Court has dismissed the application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to tender a fresh evidence against President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku had sought the leave of the apex court to tender the deposition from Chicago State University (CSU) to establish a case of certificate forgery against Tinubu in his appeal against the September 6 judgement of the Presdiential Election Petition Court, which affirmed the president’s victory at the poll.

Ruling on the application today, Justice Inyang Okoro, who led the seven-man panel of justices dismissed the application.

Justice Okoro held that the Supreme Court cannot accept a fresh evidence and the 180 days stipulated by the Electoral Act 2022 for the tribunal to adjudicate on the case had passed.

The court also ruled that in the petition filed by Atiku, facts of forgery were not pleaded and no application for amendment of the petition or extension of time was filed. That even if such application for amendment or extension of time was brought, it would have been refused.

The court further ruled that no issue for determination predicated on certificate forgery was raised by Atiku in his Brief of Argument.

The Supreme Court equally held that the conditions for introduction of fresh evidence on appeal have not been met.