Breaking: Supreme Court rejects Atiku’s application to file new evidence

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

The Supreme Court has rejected an application by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to file new evidence in his petition challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 presidential election.

Justice John Okoro, who led a seven-member panel of the court, held that the application violated the provisions of the Electoral Act, which prohibits the amendment of an election petition after 21 days.

“The application to file fresh evidence runs foul of the provisions of the Electoral Act that prohibits the amendment of election petition of 21 days of the election petition,” Justice Okoro said.

He also held that the Supreme Court could not activate Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act after 180 days had lapsed at the lower court.

Atiku had asked the court to admit evidence obtained from the academic records of Tinubu from the Chicago State University.