APM closes case against Tinubu

The Allied Peoples Movement on Wednesday closed its case before the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja, where it is challenging the victory of� President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress in the February 25 presidential election.

The APM opened and concluded its� case on Wednesday with one witness called to testify in aid of its petition.

Its petition is anchored on the contention that Tinubu�s running mate, Kashim Shettima, had double nominations as a senatorial and vice presidential candidate ahead of the polls.

On that note, the opposition party prayed the court to nullify Tinubu�s victory on the grounds that the process that brought about his declaration as the President by the Independent National Electoral Commission was �flawed�.

At Wednesday hearing, counsel for INEC, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) , while cross-examining APM�s lone witness asked if she was privy to the notice of substitution of a candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District ticket received INEC to which she answered in the negative.

The senior advocate tendered a letter dated July 6, which the APC addressed to the INEC Chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu.

In the letter, the APC said it withdrew Shettima�s nomination for the Borno Central Senatorial District election and invited the electoral commission to observe its supplementary primary election to field a replacement for Shettima in view of the senatorial candidature of Borno Central.

Pinheiro said an earlier judgment by the� Supreme Court which dismissed a similar suit filed by another party – the Peoples Democratic Party – was based on the APC�s letter announcing Shettima�s withdrawal from the senatorial race.

Other respondents, Tinubu and the APC adopted INEC�s defence.

On his part, counsel for the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), presented a certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed the PDP�s suit against Shettima�s alleged dual nomination.

The witness confirmed the authenticity of the apex court decision and it was subsequently admitted in evidence.

In a similar vein, counsel for Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), informed the court of several paragraphs of the Supreme Court verdict which Abubakar read in the open court.

The senior advocate sought to establish the frivolity of the petition challenging Tinubu�s victory.

After the witness was discharged, a subpoenaed witness from INEC John� Arabs, a deputy director, tendered an �original online form submitted by Mr Shettima� amongst other electoral documents.

After listening to all the lawyers in the suit, the chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, directed the respondents to file their final written addresses within 10 days from Wednesday.

He ordered the APM to file its written address within seven days from the date of the respondents� filing and adjourned the hearing in the suit until July 14 for the adoption of written addresses.