The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku has on Friday, closed his case before the Presidential Election Petition Court, with the calling of his last witness, Mr. Mike Enahoro-Ebah. Mr. Enahoro-Ebah, who introduced himself as a legal practitioner and a human right activist, tendered several documents, including a judgment of the US court, a photocopy of the date page of a Guinean passport allegedly belonging to Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as some documents which he claimed were given to his US lawyer, by the Chicago State University, in respect of Mr. Tinubu.
The witness who had earlier claimed to be acting independently as a human right activist, later admitted under cross-examination that he was aggrieved by Tinubu’s emergence at the polls, because he is a member of the Obidient movement. While admitting that he only printed the Guinean passport tendered by him from the internet, he stated that he had taken no step in confirming the authenticity of the said document, since he was relying on a Sahara Reporters piece on the matter.
Mr. Enahoro-Eba also stated under cross examination that he saw no need to confirm whether Tinubu renounced the citizenship portrayed through the passport. While answering further questions on the US court proceedings tendered by him, Mr. Enahoro-Eba confessed that the proceeding was not criminal in nature and that Mr. Tinubu was not convicted by the US court. He also disclosed that he had failed to register and certify the said US judgment in line with the Nigerian law. Counsel to Mr. Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, tendered through the witness, a public notice from the Chicago State University which confirmed that Mr. Tinubu attended the academic institution from August 1977 to June 1979, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting.
Though counsel to Mr. Atiku, Mr. Chris Uche, SAN indicated his objection to the admissibility of the said public notice, it was nonetheless admitted in evidence by the court. With the closing of Mr. Atiku’s case, the court has adjourned to July 3, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to open its defence to the petition.
