In response to President Bola Tinubu's objection to his request for leave to present additional evidence, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the Supreme Court to prioritize the gravity of the issue over technicalities. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeks to provide additional evidence to support his claim that Tinubu submitted forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the presidential election.
Atiku argued that the use of forged documents by a presidential candidate is a significant constitutional matter that should not be trivialized. He contested Tinubu's objection, which was based on jurisdiction and the assertion that the issue of qualification is a pre-election matter. Atiku believes that merit-related issues should not be determined at this preliminary stage.
In his application, Atiku emphasized that granting leave to present fresh evidence would obviate the need for further arguments, as the evidence already suggests that Tinubu violated the Constitution by presenting a certificate disclaimed by the issuing institution.
He dismissed Tinubu's argument about inconsistency in his names as immaterial and irrelevant, asserting that there is no petition challenging his qualification. Furthermore, Atiku asserted that the presentation of a forged certificate results in permanent disqualification for a candidate, regardless of when it was presented.
