Nigeria’s presidential election tribunal made a decisive ruling on Wednesday, rejecting challenges from opposition rivals Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi regarding Bola Tinubu’s win in February’s disputed vote.
The outcome is in line with Nigeria’s historical trend. No legal challenge to the outcome of a presidential election has ever succeeded since the country returned to democracy. Nigeria started a democratic regime in 1999 after three decades of almost uninterrupted military rule.
Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP who came second and third respectively in the election, had sought to have the election canceled due to alleged irregularities. However, the five-member tribunal, after over 11 hours of deliberation, rejected their petitions point by point.
Judges’ Opinion
Judge Haruna Tsammani, in reference to Peter Obi’s petition, stated that it was “unmeritorious” and lacked “credible evidence sufficient enough” to substantiate claims of irregularities. Tsammani also dismissed Atiku’s allegations of vote fraud as “so lame” and rejected his argument that Bola Tinubu was not qualified to run for president.
“The petitions are hereby dismissed,” Judge Tsammani declared.
Reactions
While Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, were not present in court, Labour Party released a statement. The party expressed its disagreement with the judgment and indicated that its next steps would be decided after consulting with lawyers.
Meanwhile, Bola Tinubu, who is currently in India preparing for the G20 summit, welcomed the tribunal’s ruling and called upon his rivals and their supporters to support his government.
It’s worth noting that European Union observers had previously highlighted problems in the election. They included operational failures and a lack of transparency that eroded public trust in the process. There has however been limited evidence to support he claim of significant popular opposition. Bola Tinubu has been recognized by the international community as Nigeria’s legitimate leader.
