The petitioners had contested Tinubu's eligibility for the presidential election, claiming a prior indictment and a $460,000.00 fine by the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in Case No: 93C 4483, for an offense related to dishonesty and drug trafficking. They argued that such an indictment constituted grounds for disqualification under section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The court determined that Obi and the LP failed to demonstrate that Tinubu had been indicted, arraigned, tried, or convicted for any criminal offense in the USA.
Additionally, the court highlighted that in 2003, the Inspector General of Police had sent a letter, and the American Embassy had confirmed that there was no criminal record against Tinubu in its centralized information center. It emphasized that both the IGP's letter and the US Embassy's response were public documents admissible in evidence.
Moreover, the court noted that a decade had passed since the fine was imposed on Tinubu, making it an invalid basis for seeking his disqualification.
Consequently, the court dismissed the LP and Obi's petition leg aimed at nullifying President Tinubu's election.
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