The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu heeded a court summon on Thursday, producing a document detailing President Bola Tinubu’s age before the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja.
The document, named Form EC9, is an affidavit of personal particulars that President Tinubu used to qualify to contest for the 2023 presidential election.
Former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who is contesting the presidential election outcome, had called on the court to summon the INEC boss.
Abubakar requested the document containing Tinubu’s bio-data among other exhibits.
The petition filed by Abubakar and his party claimed President Tinubu showed inconsistencies about his date of birth, secondary school attendance, state of origin, gender, actual name, and universities attended.
The petitioners argue that President Tinubu’s alleged degree certificate from the Chicago State University belonged to a woman named Bola Tinubu.
They also claimed Tinubu did not disclose his acquisition of Guinean citizenship in addition to his Nigerian nationality.
They have requested Tinubu to produce both his Nigerian and Guinean passports.
In response to the petitioner’s application, a subpoena was issued for the INEC Chairman to produce 11 sets of exhibits.
At the latest court hearing, Prof. Yakubu, while not present in person, dispatched a senior official to submit four of the requested exhibits.
His representative, Mrs Moronkeji Tairu, also presented several election-related forms and reports as well as the certified true copy of Form EC9, which was admitted as Exhibit PAJ 40.
However, President Tinubu’s legal team, as well as the All Progressives Congress, opposed the admissibility of all documents.
INEC’s lead counsel, although not opposing the admissibility, argued that the petitioners had not paid the necessary fees.
The petitioners’ lead counsel, in response, claimed his clients paid N6.7 million for the certification of all requested documents.
The panel has adjourned further hearing on the petition till Friday.
