The appeal challenging the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which affirmed the 25th February election of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, begin this morning at the Supreme Court.
Several appeals were filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; his counterpart of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi; and that of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), Princess ChiChi Ojei; and their political parties.
Apart from faulting the PEPC verdict, Atiku also filed for permission to tender a copy of Tinubu’s academic records released by the Chicago State University (CSU), which he said showed that the APC candidate submitted a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The former Vice President is also seeking to get a Washington, D.C. court to order the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States, to release documents on President Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture case.
On Sunday, the PDP expressed optimism that its appeal would succeed at the Supreme Court.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Debo Ologunagba, the PDP said its confidence is hinged on provisions of the Constitution and relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).
Ologunagba said: “As the Supreme Court commences hearing on the 25th February 2023 presidential election appeal, the PDP is confident that guided by the provisions of the law, the body of evidence, circumstances and facts presented before it, the apex court will deliver justice in the matter.
“The PDP believes that the issues of the February 2023, Presidential election; the bare-faced violation of rules and the laws, the brazen manipulations and falsifications in perversion of our electoral process have put our democracy in a precarious situation.
“Nigerians and indeed the whole world look forward to the Supreme Court for justice in the hope that the court will apply the laws, including the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines and Regulations in delivering substantial justice in the matter.
“The earnest expectation of Nigerians and lovers of democracy across the world is that the Supreme Court will use this case to firmly validate the maxim that the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man.
“Nigerians are therefore optimistic in hoping that the Supreme Court will dispense substantial Justice according to law and fact in the Appeal”.
But the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Mr. Bayo Onanugta accused followers of Atiku and Obi of allegedly trying “to stampede the Washington, D.C. court to change its earlier order on FBI to release documents on President Tinubu’s forfeiture case of 1993″.
In a tweet on X on Saturday, Onanuga said: “The OBIdients and Atiku Abubakar’s followers have begun another round of propaganda and campaign of falsehood over the move Friday by Atiku-Obi and David Hundeyin’s contractor Aaron Greenspan, to stampede the Washington DC court to change its earlier order on FBI to release documents on President Bola Tinubu’s forfeiture case of 1993.
“Atiku had wasted tons of dollars hiring Angela Liu to check President Tinubu’s record at Chicago State University. What he got in the main was a confirmation that President Tinubu attended the school, passed out in flying colours and did not forge any certificate. The February 2023 election losers, Peter Obi and Atiku, are now attempting to cling onto another straw, hoping for magic at the Supreme Court.
“On Thursday, Peter Obi forwarded to Greenspan, the Supreme Court notice of hearing for the appeal that will begin on Monday 23 October. We do not know the brief Obi gave Greenspan, but Greenspan rushed to the District Court in the US capital, with an emergency motion asking the court to compel the FBI to produce documents on our President immediately. The FBI had earlier agreed to produce the documents at the end of October. His motion may be heard on Monday 23 October, if all parties agree.
“To support his motion, the American made some allegations against the judiciary in Nigeria, as fed by Hundeyin, Obi and Atiku. He claimed the Supreme Court hearing date which he labelled as sudden, was intended to front-run the release of the FBI documents. To him, the FBI documents are relevant to the case in Nigeria. After reading Greenspan’s motion, one is left with the impression that the guy is very ignorant of our laws and our democracy and he is nothing but an interloper, in a matter clearly outside US jurisdiction.
“To the Obidients, the easily excitable Hundeyin and Atiku followers, I will just implore you to wait until the DC District Court decides on the matter, rather than rushing to the social media space with wild conjectures and extra-judicial trial of Nigeria’s elected President. Mr Greenspan, who is your collaborator in the latest fishing expedition is not so excitable. On his Plainsite-org, he already posted a reply by IRS that it has no FOIA records on President Tinubu’s 1993 civil case. Just like the Chicago case, this one too in DC will lead to nothing”.
All the appellants are praying the apex court to set aside PEPC’s judgement, which affirmed Tinubu as the valid winner of the 25th February presidential election.
While Atiku, through his team of 67 lawyers comprising of 18 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN), filed 35 grounds of appeal to challenge Tinubu’s victory; Obi, through his own team of lawyers, led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), filed 51 grounds of appeal before the Supreme Court.
On its part, the APM, lodged a 10-ground appeal to invalidate Tinubu’s election.
