ABUJA, Nigeria – In a heated escalation of the ongoing electoral dispute, Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has challenged the fitness of President-elect Bola Tinubu to serve as Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief.
In a recent reply to Tinubu’s objection to his petition, Abubakar contested the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal’s outcome on February 25. He boldly declared that unlike Tinubu, his own identity, age, origin, and educational credentials remain beyond dispute.
“Tinubu’s past is shrouded in mystery and uncertainty,” Atiku claimed, “unlike my transparent record that is open for all to see.”
Tinubu, in his initial reply, had dismissed Atiku’s petition, asserting that Atiku lacked standing to demand a recount given his track record of unsuccessful presidential runs since 1993.
“The electorate has consistently rejected Atiku’s candidacy,” Tinubu stated, “a clear indication of his inability to inspire confidence in the Nigerian populace.”
Chris Uche (SAN), Atiku’s lead counsel, fired back, arguing that Tinubu’s election was legally invalid due to his alleged dual citizenship with Nigeria and the Republic of Guinea.
“It is an affront to our Constitution and the people of Nigeria that a man with dual citizenship is elected President,” Uche argued.
Furthering his allegations, Atiku accused Tinubu of withholding key information about his qualifications in his Form EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a violation of electoral law. Atiku also claimed that Tinubu is unfit to lead Nigeria, citing previous indictments for drug-related offences in the United States and a compromise agreement that saw Tinubu forfeit $460,000.
“Despite his smooth talk and promises, Tinubu’s undisclosed past raises serious questions about his ability to lead Nigeria with integrity and honesty,” Atiku said.
Atiku also claimed that Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not secure the majority of the electoral votes and failed to meet the constitutional requirement of securing 25% of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The PDP leader refuted Tinubu’s assertion that the PDP was abusing the court process, emphasising that the earlier suit filed by six PDP governors and his petition were distinct issues. He criticized Tinubu’s argument as “contradictory, evasive, speculative, and vague.”
As the political landscape continues to heat up, the nation eagerly awaits the Tribunal’s ruling on this contentious election.
