In a significant decision that brings an end to months of legal battles that ensued post the country’s February presidential election, the Supreme Court of Nigeria confirmed the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The seven-member court unanimously rejected opposition claims of electoral fraud and breaches of electoral laws.
Tinubu clinched his presidential position in February claiming 37% of the vote, narrowly leading over opponents Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP). Both Abubakar and Obi challenged the election results based on allegations of the election commission’s failure to digitally transmit results from polling stations. They also contended that Tinubu did not obtain the necessary 25% of the vote in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, which, in their viewpoint, disqualified him from the presidency.
Nonetheless, the Supreme Court judges rebutted these arguments. They opined that the failure to digitally transmit results did not sway the overall integrity of the election. Moreover, they upheld the stance that Tinubu had indeed fulfilled the constitutional requirement by securing 25% of the vote in two-thirds of all 36 states and Abuja combined.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the LP voiced its rejection of the court’s verdict and requested the international community to defend democracy in Nigeria. Similarly, the PDP communicated its reservations about the Supreme Court’s ruling, claiming that the decision contradicted the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act of 2022, and the guidelines and regulations issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the election.
In the past, Abubakar had criticised the electoral process, describing it as “neither free nor fair”. The EU Election Observation Mission’s report also indicated a lack of transparency and instances of interference and violence that impeded participation in the electoral process.