President Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shetima,Wednesday closed their defence at the on going Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja.
They are second and third respondents respectively in the petition filed by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the outcome of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.
Their lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun SAN, had called one witness, after tendering 18 documents at the tribunal before closing the defence.
Most of the documents tendered and admitted in evidence were Tinubu’s educational credentials from the Chicago State University.
Obi and his party had predicated their joint petition seeking nullification of Tinubu’s election on the ground of not having requisite educational qualification, conviction for drug related offences by a US Court among others.
Also admitted in evidence was an acknowledgement letter of withdrawal by Kashim Shetima from the Borno Central Senatorial race, having been picked to be Vice Presidential candidate.
Tinubu and Shetima are relying on the 18 documents, duly certified by relevant bodies to defend the allegations of non qualifications to stand for the 2023 presidential election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, through it’s counsel, Abubakar Mahmoud SAN, and Lateef Fagbemi SAN, representing the All Progressives Congress (4th respondent) did not oppose admissibility of any of the 18 documents tendered by Tinubu and Shettima.
Among the documents admitted in evidence by the PEPC were a letter from the Nigeria Police Force to the US Embassy dated 3rd February 2003, asking for some information about Tinubu, and the response from the US Consulate dated 4th February 2023; a bundle of educational credentials of Tinubu duly certified and with receipts of certification by the Office of Legal Affairs Chicago State University.
Others include data pages of Tinubu’s Nigerian passport issued on 2nd February 2011, and another one issued on November 28, 2019.
Various US Visas issued on February 4, 2011, 12 July 2017, July 26, 2019, and 18 November 2021, duly certified by the Nigerian Immigration, were equally admitted in evidenec by the PEPC.