The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the February presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has told the Supreme Court that submitting a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is a weighty constitutional matter that the apex court must consider.
Atiku stated this in a deposition he made to the Supreme Court on Friday while presenting the academic records of President Bola Tinubu as new evidence for consideration in his appeal against the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court.
The former Vice-President, through his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, reminded the apex court that the judiciary are custodians of the constitution.
According to him, from cases already decided by the apex court, it could be seen that there is only one single requirement in this instance, which is the need to do justice fairly, equitably and justly.
The senior lawyer submitted that the Supreme Court had the power, the jurisdiction and the discretion to grant an application for adducing fresh or additional evidence on appeal.
Atiku’s lawyers submitted that a successful proof of the allegation will render President Tinubu unqualified to have contested the election.
They also noted that no decent system or polity should condone, or through judicial policy and decisions, encourage the dangerous culture of forging certificates with impunity to seek electoral contest.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has accused the PDP presidential candidate of “selling misinformation” in a bid to give “false hope” to his supporters.
It also said the former Vice President is trying to intimidate the Judiciary by inciting the citizenry against judges.
Speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, told journalists that by ignoring last Tuesday’s deposition by the Registrar of Chicago State University, Caleb Westberg, Atiki Abubakar is selling a false hope to his supporters who are still disappointed in him for losing the February polls
