Tinubu tenders 18 documents against Obi’s petition

The legal team of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima opened its defence on Wednesday, tendering 18 duly certified documents to defend Tinubu and Shettima’s victory in the 2023 presidential election.

Wole Olanipekun, the duo’s lead counsel listed as the second and third respondents in the petition filed by the Labour Party and Peter Obi challenging the outcome of the election tendered the documents during proceedings at the Presidential Election Petitions Court.

Two of the documents tendered by Tinubu’s lawyer were Certified True Copies Peter Obi’s forwarding letter for the submission of membership registration dated April 25, 2022 as well as his Register of Membership for Anambra State to prove their claim that Obi is not a registered member of the Labour party and not qualified to contest in the election.

The respondents, had in their response to Obi’s petition that, said that the petitioner was not a member of the party as of the time of the 2023 presidential election, making him unqualified to contest in the last election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

Other documents tendered by Olanipekun include: Letter from Nigeria Police to the United States Embassy dated February 3, 2003 asking for some information about Tinubu’s criminal record, the reply from US Embassy to the Nigeria Police, same year, 12 documents relating to the educational record of Tinubu from Chicago State University duly certified by Jamaal Cor, Associate General Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs, Chicago State University, data page of Tinubu’s Nigerian passport issued on February 2, 2011 and November 20, 2019, duly certified by Nigerian Immigration Service.

Also presented were: Tinubu’s visas to the United States issued between February 4, 2011 and November 18, 2021, duly certified by Nigerian Immigration Service; Copy of Reports of the Commission on the location of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, obtained from the FCT Archives and Historical Bureau, dated 1975, copy of Form EC8D(A)( The single sheet from which INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu announced winner of the presidential election) and Form Form EC8D for Kano State state in respect of the presidential election.

Acknowledgement copy of Shettima’s notice of voluntary withdrawal of candidacy from Borno Central Senatorial District election, dated July 6, 2023, Judgement of the Supreme Court in SC/CV/501/2023 between Peoples Democratic party and Independent National Electoral Commission and 3 others delivered on May 26, 2023 and Copies of page 27, 28, of Nigerian Tribune Newspaper of February 23, 2023.

The five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani admitted the documents and marked them as exhibits, despite objections raised by Livy Uzoukwu, counsel to Obi.