Post Image
  On Thursday, Nigeria’s Supreme Court confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s election victory. This brings an end to the legal dispute raised by his two primary opponents, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar. Tinubu’s opponents contended that his win was tainted by irregularities. This decision grants 71-year-old Tinubu a decisive mandate to lead Africa’s most populous nation, which is currently contending with issues like double-digit inflation, a scarcity of foreign currency, a weakening national currency, widespread security concerns, and crude oil theft.
Read more about Politics
The leading opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), expressed its concern and disappointment regarding the verdict, while Tinubu welcomed the court’s decision. In a statement, Tinubu emphasized the need for unity and collaboration in the face of the nation’s challenges, saying,
“We are all members of one household, and this moment demands that we continue to work and build our country together.”
Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 marked the end of nearly three decades of continuous military rule, but allegations of election manipulation and fraud have persisted through its electoral cycles. The Supreme Court ruling, by a panel of seven judges and considered final, follows a familiar pattern seen in past presidential elections that faced legal challenges. Notably, no attempt to overturn election results through the courts has succeeded thus far.
Sign up for the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
“This judgment by the Supreme Court has evidently shaken the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court as the last hope of the common man,”
the PDP said. In the February election, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party secured the second and third positions, respectively. They contested the election results, calling for the annulment of Bola Tinubu’s victory. These opposition leaders had previously appealed a September 6 tribunal decision that upheld Tinubu’s win.
Register to attend the CN Business Mixer
In their appeal, they contended that the electoral commission had failed to electronically transmit polling station results to an online portal, thereby undermining the results’ authenticity. Additionally, they argued that Tinubu had received less than 25% of the vote in the federal capital, Abuja, which, according to legal standards, disqualified him from assuming the presidency. However, the judges rejected all of their arguments. Featured Image Source: Arise News
Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
You might also like:
This article was first published on 26th October 2023

nnaemeka-emmanuel

Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.

Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *