The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku Abubakar submitted what they claimed to be President Bola Tinubu’s academic transcripts and personal information before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Friday.
One of their subpoenaed witnesses, Mike Enahoro-Ebah, who claimed to be a lawyer and human rights activist, submitted the documents on behalf of Atiku and the PDP, who are contesting Tinubu’s victory in the most recent presidential election.
Enahoro-Ebah was persuaded to adopt his written deposition, which was submitted on June 20 and in which he made reference to the papers, by petitioners’ attorney Chris Uche (SAN).
The witness claimed that his attorney in the United States helped him obtain the documents.
The documents tendered included: Tinubu’s Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars); what they described as a certificate from the Chicago State University; NYSC discharge certificate (which the witness said contained the name: Adekunle); a party membership card, and a certificate of service from Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc.
Also tendered were what the witness described as the academic records of Tinubu from the Chicago State University; what he referred to as the actual certificate issued by the university; application for admission allegedly made by Tinubu in 1977; a transcript for admission from the South West College, in which the witness claimed Tinubu was referred to in the female gender.
The petitioners also tendered, through Enahoro-Ebah, a document they refered to as a notorized judgment of a United States District Court and a print out if a Guinean passport, which the witness claimed belonged to Tinubu.
The respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu and the APC – objected to the admissibility of the documents in evidence and promised to adduce their reasons at the point of filing their final written addresses.
The court however admitted the documents and marked them accordingly.
At the conclusion of his evidence-in-chief, INEC’s lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) cross examined Enahoro-Ebah, during which the witness admitted that he is unhappy that his candidate lost the presidential election.
He claimed that his investigation of Tinubu’s background was not influenced from any quarter and that his lawyer in the US helped him to obtain the documents from the Chicago State University free of charge.
The court has stood down proceedings till 3pm for lawyers to Tinubu and the APC to cross examine the witness.
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