Politics
PEPT: Atiku Concludes Suit Against Tinubu, Court Sets Date For Defense
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a candidate representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), concluded his presentation before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja on Friday.
Abubakar is challenging the validity of President Bola Tinubu’s election and seeking its nullification.
Atiku Abubakar, after presenting a total of 27 witnesses and submitting various documentary exhibits as evidence during the court proceedings, made the decision to conclude his case.
He stated that the reason for this decision was that he had utilized all the allotted time for presenting his arguments against Tinubu.
“My lords, at this point in time, may we humbly inform your lordships that this will be our last witness,” Atiku’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the court.
Continuing, Uche, SAN, said: “Having exhausted the days allocated to us, pursuant to the pre-hearing report and Paragraph 46(5) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022, we most humbly apply the formally close the case for the petitioners.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by its lawyer Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, informed the court that the parties involved had mutually agreed to postpone the commencement of the defense by the respondents until after the upcoming Sallah celebration.
Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, the head of President Tinubu’s legal team, confirmed the agreement and requested the court’s permission for the respondents, starting with INEC, to begin their defense against Atiku’s petition on July 3.
Olanipekun said “My lords, all of us took into consideration some salient factors, especially the fact that some of us will love to travel to celebrate with our families and loved ones.
“Moreover, there is likely to be a two days public holidays next week. We will therefore plead your lordships to adjourn the case till after the Sallah celebration.
“We also want to assure your lordships that on our part, we will not exceed the days allotted to us. We will start and close out case the same week,” Olanipekun, SAN, added
After receiving no objection from the petitioners’ counsel, the five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned the case until July 3 to allow INEC to begin presenting its defense against the petition.
The adjournment took place following the completion of testimony by Atiku’s key witness, Mr. Mike Enahoro-Ebah, who was subsequently excused from the witness box.
During his testimony, Enahoro-Ebah submitted certified copies of President Tinubu’s academic qualifications to the court, which were admitted as evidence and marked as an exhibit.
Equally admitted in evidence and marked as an exhibit by the panel was Tinubu’s certificate of service from Mobile Oil Nigeria Plc, which formed part of his work records, as well as a copy of his Guinean Passport.
Enahoro-Ebah told the court that he applied and obtained the Form EC9, which contained the affidavit of personal particulars, which Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in aid of his qualifications to contest the presidential election.
He told the court that his lawyer in the United States of America, USA, also wrote to various schools that the 2nd Respondent, Tinubu, claimed to have attended, and obtained more information about him.
The witness told the court that among the documents he obtained from the USA, included Tinubu’s purported certificate from Chicago State University, which he said belonged to a female.
Also tendered before the court by the witness, was a transcript that was issued in 1977 by South West College, which he said equally established that the Tinubu that attended Chicago State University was a female.
Mr. Enahoro-Ebah told the court that whereas the forwarding letter from his lawyer in the USA, which contained Tinubu’s details, came on November 1, 2022, however, it was nof until April 2023 that he received a copy of the notorised judgement on criminal asset forfeiture proceedings that involved the 2nd Respondent.
Besides, he told the court that documents he obtained from INEC showed that the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate that Tinubu submitted in aid of his qualifications, bore the name, Adekunle.
Despite stiff objections from the INEC, President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, who are Respondents in the matter, the court, admitted all the documents in evidence and marked them as Exhibits PDE-1 to PDE-5.
More so, the witness, said he had in 2022, instituted a direct criminal complaints against Tinubu before a Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja.
He told the court that the Chief Magistrate Court declined jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the court’s actions, the witness stated that he had written a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory regarding the matter.
A copy of the court process pertaining to the petition was admitted as evidence and marked as an exhibit by the panel.
When questioned about whether he had made inquiries with the Guinean embassy regarding the second respondent (Tinubu) renouncing his alleged citizenship, the response of the witness was not mentioned in the provided information.
The witness, said: “My lord, I did not have to because the former President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, admitted the issuance of the passport.”
Following insistence by Tinubu’s lawyer, Chief Olanipekun, SAN, that the said passport that was tendered in evidence, expired in 2020, the witness, said: “My lords, the data page indicated that it expired, but citizenship does not expire.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented Certificates of Return to candidates who emerged victorious in the June 20, 2026, bye-elections conducted across Rivers, Enugu, Nasarawa, Ondo and Kano states.
The commission announced the development in a statement shared on its official X platform on Tuesday, confirming the formal recognition of the successful candidates as duly elected representatives.
The certificates were presented on behalf of the INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, by the Supervising National Commissioner for Rivers State, May Agbamuche-Mbu.
READ ALSO: Ondo By-Election: INEC Breaks Silence on BVAS Issues, Result Upload Process
Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Agbamuche-Mbu congratulated the winners and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by their constituents through effective representation and responsive leadership.
She noted that the primary duty of elected officials is to serve the people faithfully and ensure that the interests of their communities are adequately represented at all times.
According to her, voters have entrusted the successful candidates with a mandate that comes with responsibility, accountability and dedication to public service.
“The primary responsibility of elected officials is to serve the people diligently and ensure their interests are well represented,” she said.
INEC stated that the issuance of the Certificates of Return officially affirms the candidates as winners of their respective elections and marks the conclusion of the electoral process.
The electoral body further disclosed that Certificates of Return would also be presented to winners of the Kebbi State House of Assembly election for Zuru Constituency as well as the Ekiti State governorship election.
It added that National Commissioners representing the affected constituencies conducted the presentations, formally confirming the elected candidates as duly returned winners.
The commission expressed optimism that the newly elected officials would work towards improving the welfare of their constituents and contribute positively to democratic governance in their respective states.
The June 20 bye-elections were held to fill vacant elective positions across several states, with INEC overseeing the conduct of the polls and subsequent declaration of winners.
The presentation of the Certificates of Return now paves the way for the successful candidates to assume office and begin carrying out the responsibilities attached to their mandates.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, securing another four-year term in office.
The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Adenike Oladiji, announced the result at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday after the completion of collation from the state’s 16 local government areas.
According to the results, Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challengers.
READ ALSO: Ekiti Poll Shock: ADC Candidate Loses Home Ward to Oyebanji
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwole Oluyede, secured 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) garnered 12,872 votes.
Oladiji disclosed that 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded. She added that 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the total votes cast to 382,109.
The declaration ended a closely watched governorship contest that saw voters across Ekiti State head to the polls on Saturday amid a generally peaceful atmosphere.
Despite the successful conduct of the election, reports of technical challenges and allegations of irregularities emerged from some polling units.
INEC said all 2,445 polling units designated for the election opened for voting.
According to the commission, 2,257 polling units, representing 92.31 per cent, opened before 8:30 a.m., while 188 polling units experienced minor delays but commenced voting before 10:30 a.m.
The electoral body also began uploading polling unit results to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) after voting and counting were completed in several locations.
During the election, PDP candidate Oluwole Oluyede raised concerns over developments at Ugele/Arokun Ward in Ikere Local Government Area.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote at Polling Unit 006, he alleged that many voters were unable to vote because of challenges associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Oluyede also alleged voter harassment and intimidation in the area.
Earlier, some elderly voters at the same polling unit expressed frustration after they were unable to complete accreditation due to BVAS issues and called on INEC to urgently address the problem.
ADC candidate Dare Bejide also alleged irregularities during the election.
However, Governor Oyebanji dismissed the allegations and insisted that those making such claims must provide evidence.
The governor, who voted at Polling Unit 003, Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, described the conduct of the election as satisfactory and encouraged eligible voters to participate peacefully in the democratic process.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the election, CP Abayomi Shogunle, stated that no case of vote-buying was reported to security agencies during the poll.
Voting ended before 3 p.m. in many polling units, after which sorting and counting of ballots commenced. However, some locations experienced minor disruptions.
At Polling Unit 008 in Ugele/Arokun Ward, Ikere Local Government Area, sorting and counting reportedly became rowdy as party agents and supporters disagreed over the validity of some ballot papers.
At Polling Unit 006, where the PDP candidate voted, voting was still ongoing as of 4 p.m. due to delays caused by accreditation challenges.
Security personnel later intervened to restore order when the situation became tense.
Election observers generally commended the peaceful conduct of the exercise while raising concerns about some procedural issues.
First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Sebastian Anyia, described the process as peaceful and orderly, expressing optimism that the smooth conduct witnessed during accreditation would continue throughout the election.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Brenda Anugwom, praised the determination shown by female voters.
“The women are so resilient; in front of me at the other polling unit, they are laying their blankets on the floor and placing their toddlers, which means they are here to stay; they mean business, and they really want to cast their vote,” she said.
Meanwhile, election monitoring group Yiaga Africa raised concerns over what it described as discrepancies between ballot papers, result sheets and INEC’s published list of candidates.
In a statement signed by Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, and Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, the organisation said:
“Yiaga Africa is observing the Ekiti State governorship election, and our preliminary findings raise serious concerns about the consistency of the materials INEC has deployed.”
The group warned that the inconsistencies could create confusion during voting and collation processes.
Reacting to the concerns, INEC explained that 19 political parties were included on the ballot paper to avoid the cost of printing fresh ballot papers following court orders and other administrative changes.
Ahead of the election, INEC repeatedly assured residents of its readiness to conduct a credible and transparent poll, while security agencies stated that extensive preparations had been made to ensure a peaceful exercise.
The Nigeria Police Force led a multi-agency security operation across the state, deploying personnel to polling units, collation centres and other strategic locations.
Authorities also imposed restrictions on vehicular movement during voting hours and warned political actors against violence, vote-buying and other electoral offences.
With the declaration of the final result, Oyebanji has secured a second term as governor of Ekiti State after recording a decisive victory over his opponents in the governorship election.
Election Results
Biodun Oyebanji (APC) – 319,224 votes
Oluwole Oluyede (PDP) – 40,543 votes
Dare Bejide (ADC) – 12,872 votes
Election Statistics
Accredited Voters: 384,940
Valid Votes: 375,777
Rejected Votes: 6,332
Total Votes Cast: 382,109
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded an early lead in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election after defeating the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, in his polling unit and ward.
The result was declared at Polling Unit 004, Ward 2, Ekiti South-West Local Government Area, where Bejide hails from.
The ward is also shared with IT expert and politician Makinde Araoye.
ALSO READ: Oyo APC Rejects LG Election, Says Makinde Wants to Rule by Proxy After Exit
According to the results announced, Oyebanji polled 140 votes, while Bejide secured 37 votes.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recorded 2 votes.
Result breakdown for PU 004, Ward 2:
APC: 140 votes
ADC: 37 votes
PDP: 2 votes
The outcome handed the APC an early advantage as collation of results continues across the state under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The result is seen as significant because Bejide lost in his own polling unit, an area expected to favour him as a native of the ward.
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