From Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told the Supreme Court that the petition by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP against the February 25 election was a mere blockbuster with thrilling suspense and hide-and-seek
The President has now asked the apex court to throw away the appeal filed against the September 6 judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court.
Part of the grounds canvassed for dismissal of Atiku’s appeal is that it is irritating, vague, unwarranted and has no known focus or destination.
Tinubu, in his response to Atiku’s appeal filed by Wole Olanipekun SAN on his behalf, specifically claimed the case of the former Vice President has no legs to stand upon and as well have no wings to fly to the direction being sought by the PDP presidential candidate.
He claimed that he defeated Atiku and PDP in virtually all the states of the federation, prompting the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to declare him winner after the lawful collations of the election results in the presence of agents of the appellant.
Tinubu faulted the entire allegations of malpractices, noncompliance with electoral laws and non-qualifications raised against him by Atiku, stating that the lower court did not find merits in any of the allegations, hence, they were dismissed.
The President also challenged the competence of Atiku’s petition, insisting that what the PDP presidential candidate dressed as statements of facts were mere hearsays with no probate values.
Tinubu asserted that while Atiku claimed to have won the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election, he never gave the figure he scored at the election.
He claimed that what Atiku termed an expert report, was a mere worthless paper having been produced outside the period of the time stipulated by law, making it inadmissible by any court of law.
Tinubu drew the attention of the Supreme Court to the admission of Atiku’s witnesses that the election was free and fair except for the inability of INEC to transmit the results electorally as earlier promised.
The President insisted that the non-transmission of election results electronically did not violate any law because the decision to use the electronic system was just a promise by the electoral body.
Meanwhile, Tinubu’s reply is completely silent on the fresh evidence claimed to have been procured by Atiku from the Chicago State University.
At the time of this report, the Supreme Court has not fixed a date for the hearing of the appeal marked SC/CS/935/2023.