PRESIDENT TINUBU WINS AGAIN

THE NIGERIAN SUPREME COURT HAS UPHELD PRESIDENT TINUBU'S ELECTION VICTORY.

By, Adedayo Fowowe

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria looks on after his inauguration ceremony in Abuja.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu looks on after his inauguration ceremony on May 29, 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria. 

The Supreme Court of Nigeria affirmed President Bola Tinubu's election victory on Thursday, putting an end to a legal challenge made by his two main competitors who contended that his victory was tarnished by irregularities.

The decision gives Tinubu, 71, a clear mandate to run Africa's most populous country, which is battling with double-digit inflation, foreign currency shortages, a sinking naira, pervasive insecurity, and crude oil theft.

After nearly three decades of practically uninterrupted military rule, Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, but charges of poll rigging and fraud followed it's electoral circles.

The ruling by the seven justices of the Supreme Court, which is final, is consistent with prior presidential elections that were contested in court. There has never been a successful legal attempt to overturn a result.

Despite placing second and third in the February election, respectively, atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party refused to accept the outcome and demanded that Tinubu's victory be revoked.

The two opposition leaders had filed an appeal against a tribunal ruling on September 6th, which supported Tinubu's win.

They claimed in the appeal that the election commission's failure to electronically send polling place results to an online portal compromised their validity.

Tinubu further claimed that because he received less than 25% of the vote in the federal capital of Abuja, he did not reach the legal requirement to become president.

All of their arguments were rejected by the judges.

"There is no merit in this appeal, and it is hereby dismissed," Supreme Court Justice John Okoro stated.

The court also denied Atiku's request to present new evidence that Tinubu submitted a fraudulent academic credential to the election commission.

Tinubu had previously disputed this.