Tinubu, APC call one witness, close defence in petition filed by Peter Obi, LP

President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday closed their defence in the petition filed by Mr Peter Obi and Labour Party (LP).

Lawyers to President Tinubu and the APC who called Senator Opeyemi Bamidele as their star witness informed the court that they have established their case through the witness and do not need to call another witness in the matter.

The witness who is a practicing Attorney in the United States of America and currently the Majority Leader of the Senate, in his evidence, told the court that there is no record of criminal proceedings or conviction of Senator Bola Tinubu in the United States of America.

On allegations of drug trafficking against the president, the senator said Tinubu was never convicted in the United States, since no charge was filed against him in any court.

Senator Bamidele in his witness deposition further told the court that there is a shortfall of ten thousand, nine hundred and twenty-nine votes in the votes recorded for Senator Bola Tinubu in Kano state.

Addressing the court shortly after, Lateef Fagbemi, lawyer to the APC, said he was satisfied with the evidence from the second and third respondents, adding that he would not be calling any witnesses.

Earlier, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) admitted the Chicago State University records of President Bola Tinubu who formally opened his defence in a petition filed against his electoral victory by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

At the resumed hearing of the petition on Tuesday, the defence tendered educational documents to establish Tinubu’s attendance and graduation at the American University comprising of the admission letter offered to the president by the institution, as well as a United States of America visa from 2011 to 2021, among others.

Lawyers to Tinubu also presented the membership register of the Labour Party in Anambra State to prove its case that Peter Obi was not qualified to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the LP, as at the time of the election.