Breaking: Supreme Court affirms Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president; Dismiss 7 issues of the main appeal by Atiku, Obi

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has in a lead judgement by Justice Inyang John Okoro on Thursday affirmed President Bola Tinubu as the elected president in the general elections held on Saturday, 25th Febrary, 2023.

The ruling was affirmed by a unanimous judgment by all the seven justices on the panel of the apex court who took turn to deliver their judgements as without merit the opposition appeals over claims of fraud, electoral law violations, and Tinubu’s ineligibility to run for president.

“On the whole, having resolved all the issues against the appellant, it is my view that there is no merit in the appeal and it is hereby dismissed,” Justice Inyang Okoro said in dismissing Atiku’s appeal.

“The judgment of the court below delivered on September 6th, 2023 affirming the election of the second respondent as the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is hereby affirmed,” Okoro submitted.

And by this judgement, the Supreme Court has delivered the final judgement on the two appeals from Atiku Abubakar and Obi, presidential flagbearers of the PDP and LP respectively challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu at the disputed poll.

Recall Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party – the two leading opposition candidates at the election – had filed separate appeals to challenge the earlier 6 September verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court which affirmed Mr Tinubu’s victory.

Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC, had declared Mr Tinubu the winner of the election on 1 March.

However, Atiku and Mr Obi, who came second and third, respectively, questioned INEC’s conduct of the polls; as they alleged widespread electoral fraud and the ineligibility of Mr Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to vie for the presidency.