President Muhammadu Buhari and is party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) made their final submissions on Wednesday before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in the petition by Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wole Olanipekun (SAN), accompanied by Alex Izinyon (SAN) and others made the final submission on behalf of Buhari, while Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) led the team of lawyers that spoke for the APC.
Olanipekun, while urging the court to dismiss the petition with substantial cost, argued that the petition was worthless as the petitioners failed to lead any reasonable evidence to support their claim.
He noted for instance, that while the petitioners claimed there is a server, they failed to identify it and show the court where it is located.
Fagbemi argued that all issues the 3rd respondent (APC) raised about Atiku’s qualification to contest for allegedly not being a Nigerian by birth, were not challenged by either Atiku or the PDP.
“On the qualification of the 1st petitioners (Atiku). In spite of all we put before the court, they provided nothing to the contrary.
“What we need is minimal proof. Nothing was put forward in the petitioners’ written address to counter this. And, I must commend them, because they have nothing to offer.
“In that respect, the 3rd respondent has discharge the burden on that. The issue of the 1st petitioner’s non-qualification is effectively dealt with in our written address.
“To fault INEC’s position, they have the burden to show substantial non-compliance. They failed to do this. The implication therefore, is that there was substantial compliance with the Electoral Act in the conduct of the last presidential election,” Fagbemi said. (The Nation)
