Atiku’s camp reacts after INEC declared CSU evidence inadmissible, speculates implication

Demola Olarewaju has criticised the alleged attempt by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “cover the mess of an election it carried out”.

Olarewaju, the Special Assistant on Digital Media Strategy to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2023 election, said the electoral body has been indicted “as an agent of state rigging”.

According to the media aide of the former vice president, INEC “had no business” asking the Supreme Court to not admit as evidence President Tinubu’s certificate that was released to the PDP candidate by the Chicago State University (CSU), USA.

Furthermore, Olarewaju opined that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, “is the worst electoral chief ever in Nigeria”.

It would be recalled that Atiku’s legal team had a tough time on Monday, October 23, trying to convince the apex court as to why he (Atiku) should be allowed to tender new evidence.

Counsel for Atiku and the PDP, Chris Uche (SAN), made a motion and said it was for leave to present fresh evidence based on a deposition on oath from Caleb Westberg, the CSU registrar.

However, the Supreme Court held that the deposition cannot qualify as a court document.

In a similar vein, INEC's lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, described the motion by Atiku and the PDP as misconceived and misdirected.

Mahmoud urged the court to dismiss it. Reacting, Olarewaju wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter handle) on Tuesday, October 24:

“INEC’s attempt to cover the mess of an election it carried out is an indictment of the electoral agency as an agent of state rigging - they had no business yesterday opposing the admission of the evidence that indicts Tinubu.

"Yakubu Mahmud is in my view the worst electoral chief ever in Nigeria.”