The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 presidential election, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, has told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks legal right to defend the President-elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, in the drug and dual citizenship accusations against him.
Atiku described INEC as a meddlesome interloper in its defence of Tinubu on the latter’s qualifications for the last presidential election.
He accused the electoral body of being a busy-body and fishing in another person’s troubled water.
INEC Counsel, Mr Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, had moved a motion on notice praying the Court to strike out some of the allegations Atiku made against Tinubu in his petition.
The electoral body pleaded with the court to strike out 32 allegations made against Tinubu by Atiku which among others, comprised forfeiture of $460,000 in the United States of America (USA) over drug offence, possession of Guinean Passport and allegiance to a foreign country.
Atiku had in the petition challenged the declaration of Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the joint winner of the February 25 presidential election.
INEC said that the allegations which formed 32 paragraphs in the Atiku’s petition should be discontenced by the Court for various reasons comprising lack of jurisdiction.
