President Buhari has described the petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar at the presidential Petition Tribunal as “a patent sham” which should be discarded.
In a final written representation by the lead counsel to Buhari, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the president demanded the tribunal to throw away the 28,000 exhibits tendered by Atiku and the PDP, including the testimonies of its witnesses such as Segun Sowunmi, David Njorga from Kenya, and Joseph Gbenga.
Buhari also demanded the tribunal to discard the result sheets tendered in respect of Yobe, 1,732; Kebbi 2,106; Borno 3,472; Kano 5,806; Bauchi 3,599; Katsina 3,378; Jigawa 3,162; Kaduna 3,335A; Zamfara eight, and Niger 1,797. Saying “they have failed in their attempt to loudly but erroneously prove their petitions.”
President Buhari who was returned the winner of the February 2019 presidential general election by the INEC scored 15 million votes as against Atiku’s 11,262,978 votes.
On the issue of electronic server, the address noted that the argument from Atiku’s camp that the results of the presidential election were transmitted electronically from all polling units across the country was a “patent sham,” describing the entire case of PDP presidential candidate at best as “immature,” adding that the petitioners could not establish the existence of the server.
More so, the lawyers added that the petition by Atiku and the PDP “failed to establish credible and reliable evidence to establish the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari forged his certificate as alleged in their petition.”
The president further posited that “while it is appropriate to deflate such baseless, misleading and false assertion, it wishes to put the record straight in clear provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which states the requirement for a candidate to contest the presidential election and occupy the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Section 131(d) provides that; A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if – He has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
We are acquainted with the consequence of submitting a forged document to INEC. It, therefore, behooves precise evidence and proof beyond reasonable doubt, which the Petitioners have failed to establish,” it added.
Making reference to the Constitution, the address stated that Section 318 of the Constitution, defines a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent’ to mean: A secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, or Grade II Teacher’s certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or Education up to Secondary School Certificate Level; or Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent and (a), Serves in the public or private sector in the Federation in any capacity acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of ten years.”
Tribunal to resume sitting Wednesday 21 August 2019.
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