By Yemi Yusuf
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has finally closed his case at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja, where he is asking for the nullification of the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Alhaji Abubakar who filed his petition challenging the outcome of the February 25 polls some three weeks after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Mr Tinubuwinner had said he would be calling 100 witnesses to support his case.
However, on Friday, Mr. Atiku’s lead lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, called his 27th witness to the stand, promising that would be the last witness for his case in the three-week trial.
Referring to the witness, Mr Enahoro-Ebah, Mr Uche told the court, “My Lords, this will be our last witness in this case. Pursuant to the prehearing report and the Electoral Act, we apply to close the case for the petitioners.”
Mr. Enahoro-Ebah hadearlier tendered Mr Tinubu’s academic records from the Chicago State University and the president’s biodata, obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mr Uche, also tendered electoral documents in evidence to substantiate Atiku’s claims of electoral fraud allegedly perpetrated by INEC and Mr. Tinubu.
Atiku is alleging that Mr Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in connivance with the electoral commission, stole the 25 February presidential election.
Mr Enahoro-Ebah was led in evidence by Mr Uche and later cross-examined by the respondents’ lawyers – Wole Olanipekun for Mr Tinubu, Lateef Fagbemi for APC and INEC’s Abubakar Mahmoud, all SANs.
Citing the prehearing session report of the court and provisions of the Electoral Act, Mr Uche informed the court that he had come to the end of Atiku’s suit challenging Mr Tinubu’s victory.
After the close of Atiku’s case, the respondents are expected to open their defence soon.
The five-member panel of the court headed by Haruna Tsammani had scheduled 30 June for respondents to commence their defence.
However, a lawyer in INEC’s legal team, Kemi Pinheiro, also a SAN, urged the court to allow the electoral body to open its defence on 3 July instead. Messrs Olanipekun and Fagbemi also prayed the court to allow them to open their suits after the “Sallah break” which is expected to commence from 28 to 30 June.
After listening to the lawyers, the court granted the request and adjourned the suit until 3 July for defence.
