President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday, closed their case in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the Presidential Election Petition Court.
Testifying as the respondents’ star witness, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele told the court that Tinubu was never indicted, charged or convicted for criminal offences in the United States.
He said the $460,000, which he forfeited in 1993, was in a civil proceeding and not a criminal case.
Several documents were tendered in evidence through the witness.
After the President and his deputy closed their case, counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Lateef Fagbemi, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told the court that he would not be calling witnesses or tendering documents.
Fagbemi said that the evidence adduced by the second and third respondents was enough to support the case of the APC.
The APC counsel thereafter closed his case.
Tinubu, Shettima and the ruling party have also closed their defence in the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Bamidele was also the sole witness of the respondents.
The five-member panel of the court directed all respondents in the suit to file their final brief of argument within 10 days. while the petitioners have seven days to submit theirs.
The respondents were also directed to get their reply to the petitioners’ address five days after they have been served.
The court said the date for the adoption of the final written addresses would be communicated to all parties.
Earlier in the day, Tinubu and Shettima tendered 18 exhibits at the tribunal in defence against the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Mr. Peter Obi challenging his victory at the polls.
The exhibits were to disprove allegations of non-qualifications to stand for the 2023 presidential election.
Shetima also tendered his letter of withdrawal from the Borno South Senatorial race.
Also among the documents tendered was a copy of the LP membership register for Anambra State as proof that Obi is not a registered member of the party.
Tinubu and Shettima, who are second and third respondents in the case tendered the documents through their lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
He tendered the document along with LP’s letter, dated 25th April 2022, forwarding the membership register to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
They had argued, in their response to the petition, that Obi was not qualified to have contested in the last presidential election as he was not a member of the party at the election.
Although counsel to the petitioners, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) objected to the admissibility of the documents, the court admitted them and marked them as exhibits.
Meanwhile, the defence has been stepped down for calling witnesses.
