PEPC admits Shettima’s voluntary resignation letter as senatorial candidate
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Wednesday admitted in evidence a Certified True copy (CTC) of Kashim Shettima‘s voluntary resignation letter as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Borno Central senatorial District.
The letter, dated July 6, 2022, was tendered among other documents by lawyer to President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) at the opening of their defence in the petition by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP).
The petitioners are challenging the competence of the joint ticket of Tinubu and Shettma, claiming that Shettima had double nomination.
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The letter is intended to prove that the Vice President resigned his senatorial candidacy before his selection as the vice presidential candidate of the APC.
The development came as President Bola Tinubu, Shettima and the All Progressives Congress (APC) concluded their defence in the petition by Obi and the Labour Party (LP) before the Court.
Lawyer to Tinubu and Shettma, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) announced the closure of his clients’ case after their sole witness, Senate Majority Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele concluded his testimony.
Olanipekun also tendered 18 sets of documents, including LP’s membership register for Anambra State, which Bamidele claimed did not contain Obi’s name, the implication of which, he averred, was that he was not a member of the party when he contested the last presidential election.
Olanipekun tendered the document along with LP’s letter, dated April 25, 2022 forwarding the membership register to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The documents were tendered along with other documents at the commencement of the defence of Tinubu and Shettma in the petition by Obi and the Labour Party before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).