JUST IN: Tinubu opens defence at presidential tribunal, tenders Chicago University academic records, 13 other documents

Akinwande Soji-Ojo

President Bola Tinubu has opened his defence the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPT) by submitting his educational records from the Chicago State University.

Tinubu commenced his defence against the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Peter Obi, over the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Tinubu’s legal representative, presented copies of these documents during Tuesday’s proceedings.

The academic records from Chicago State University comprised 12 certified documents. The documents were endorsed on June 28, 2023, by Jamar C. Orr, the Associate General Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs at Chicago State University.

Additionally, a 2007 letter from the United States Embassy in Nigeria, which cleared Tinubu of any criminal charges in the US, was tendered. The lawyer also submitted the letter of request from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to the US Embassy.

Furthermore, the defence team presented six documents related to Tinubu’s immigration and visa records, documenting his trips to the United States between 2011 and 2021, among other supporting evidence.

The documents tendered are as follows:

1. One CTC of Letter from the Nigeria Police to the United States Embassy, dated 3rd February,
2003.

2. One CTC of Letter from the United States Embassy to the Nigeria Police, dated 4th February, 2003.

3. 12 CTC’s of bundles of president Bola Tinubu’s Educational Record from the Chicago State University.

4. Six CTC’s of president Tinubu’s immigration documents and US Visas.

5. One CTC of Report of the Committee on the Allocation of the Federal Capital of Nigeria.

6. One CTC of Form EC8D for Kano State in respect of the 25th February,2023 presidential election.

7. One CTC of Form EC8D(A) in respect of the presidential election of 25th February, 2023.

8. One CTC of Originating summons in SC/CV/354/2023 dated 28th February, 2023, filed by the AG’s of Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto
States

9. One CTC of page 35 of ThisDay Newspaper dated 5th March, 2023.

10. One СТС of frontpage and page 5 of ThisDay Newspaper of 17th February, 2023.

11. One CTC of page 2 of Sunday Sun Newspaper of 19th March, 2023

12. One CTC of page 28 of Nigerian Tribune Newspaper of 23rd February, 2023.

13. One CTC of Page 27 of The Punch Newspaper of 3rd March, 2023.

14. One CTC of Pages 1 and 7 of The Nation Newspaper of 3rd March, 2023.