In a significant development in the ongoing legal battle between Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and President Bola Tinubu, the Supreme Court has dismissed Atiku’s application to admit fresh evidence in his appeal against President Tinubu.
The court cited a lack of jurisdiction in its decision. Atiku had approached the apex court seeking permission to present fresh evidence related to allegations of forgery against President Tinubu, claiming that these allegations held significant constitutional and democratic implications.
The evidence that Atiku sought to introduce was the academic records of President Tinubu, which were reportedly provided to him by Chicago State University (CSU) on October 2. Atiku argued that this new evidence was critical to his appeal and fell within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to consider.
However, in a firm response, the Supreme Court characterized Atiku’s petition as a “friendly joke” and asserted that it could not be granted due to procedural constraints. The court pointed out that the case had been filed out of time, and Atiku had failed to demonstrate that the alleged forgery had a legitimate cause.
According to the Supreme Court, the decision was based on the constitutional timeframe for introducing fresh evidence in appeals. The court indicated that the time limit set by the constitution had already lapsed, making it impossible for them to consider Atiku’s request.
As of the time of filing this report, the Supreme Court was in the process of delivering its judgment on the matter.
