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Tinubu burdened by drug, identity scandals – Atiku tells court

Atiku and his party are challenging Mr Tinubu’s victory at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja. The drug allegation is part of the grounds on which Atiku anchored his petition.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mr Tinubu the winner of the election with 8,794,726 votes, to defeat his closest challenger, Atiku, who polled 6,984,520 votes.

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But Atiku accused INEC and Mr Tinubu of fraud and substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the constitution during the conduct of the 25 February election.

Mr Tinubu in his response to Atiku’s petition described the former Nigeria’s vice president as a “serial loser.”

The president-elect detailed Atiku’s several, but unsuccessful bids for the presidency since 1993 when he first ran for the top job before becoming President Olusegun Obasanjo’s deputy from 1999 to 2007.

‘Tinubu a giant in forfeiture, drug-related offences’

Responding to Mr Tinubu’s reply to his petition, Atiku noted that, unlike Mr Tinubu, he had been able to vie for the presidency without any controversy. Atiku’s reply is on point of law which closes further exchange on the substance of his petition before court hearing begins in court.

The former Vice President boasted that records of his identity and educational qualifications have remained untainted.

Atiku argued that Mr Tinubu is constitutionally barred from contesting for the presidency on account of his indictment for drug-related offences in the United States of America.

In the filings, Atiku’s lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said Mr Tinubu forfeited a sum of $460,000 as a compromise agreement.

Tinubu’s alleged dual citizenship

Responding further, Atiku faulted Mr Tinubu’s victory on the ground that he “holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Guinea.”

Moreover, the PDP presidential candidate accused the president-elect of failing to disclose facts of his constitutional qualifications in his Form EC9 submitted to the INEC, in breach of the law.

Atiku admitted that Mr Tinubu may be a “Titan and a Maestro,” but that the “President-elect is certainly not a titan and maestro in national stature but in controversies such as age, state of origin, identity, educational qualifications represented by certificates obtained from universities and colleges”.

“The comparison of the second respondent (Mr Tinubu) with the first petitioner (Atiku) who had attained the eminent position of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for eight years is totally unfounded.”

Atiku is urging the court to either declare him as president or nullify the polls on account of Mr Tinubu’s failure to secure a majority of lawful votes cast during the presidential election.

He is also contending that Mr Tinubu did not score 25 per cent of lawful votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as statutorily required.

Tinubu dodgy on issues
The petitioner further accused Mr Tinubu of deliberately refusing to respond to serious issues raised in the petition.

Atiku said Mr Tinubu’s reply to the petition has been “contradictory, evasive, speculative and vague.”

On the issue of abuse of the court process raised by Mr Tinubu against the petitioners, Atiku argued that his suit was properly filed.

He noted that the earlier suit filed by PDP- controlled states at the Supreme Court had been withdrawn.

In the suit filed on 28 February, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Taraba and Sokoto States sued the federal government at the Supreme Court, questioning INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu’s declaration of Mr Tinubu as president-elect.

 

Source: premiumtimesng.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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