PEPC Rejects Atiku’s Claim Of Drug Crime, Dual Citizenship Against Tinubu

The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 dismissed the petition of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in which he accused the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu of having dual citizenship and also of drug conviction.

Delivering judgement on the objections filed by APC and Tinubu on grounds that the issues bordering on his non-qualification to contest the February 25 presidential election, Justice Moses Ugo held that Atiku and PDP cannot smuggle new issues not pleaded in their petition on the grounds of non-qualification.

Justice Ugo said the grounds were new issues and therefore upheld the objections of the ruling party and Tinubu.

Atiku had in his reply to Tinubu challenging his election, argued that the presidential candidate of the APC was constitutionally disabled from contesting for the office of President of Federal Republic of Nigeria having forfeited $460,000 in a compromise agreement for narcotics related crime (proceeds of crime) in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.

Atiku also argued that Tinubu failed to disclose in his form EC9 that he has dual citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Guinea.