Supreme Court Upholds President Tinubu’s Election

The Supreme Court Thursday upheld President Bola Tinubu’s February 25, 2023 election and brought to an end, the long drawn legal battle by his main opponents, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party challenging his election.
The ruling proved expectations of many Nigerians that the Supreme Court would not do otherwise.
In giving its verdict, the apex court refused to admit new evidence procured by Atiku to show that Tinubu forged and falsified documents relating to his educational qualifications which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the application to bring in the evidence was filed out of time. The court described the application as a friendly joke.
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in September had dismissed the petitions of Atiku and Obi, affirming that Tinubu satisfied the conditions required for him to be declared the winner of the election by INEC.
The two main rivals of Tinubu had argued that his victory was marred by irregularities. They said having not won 25 percent of the votes in Abuja, the federal capital as expressed by the constitution, Tinubu should not have been declared winner of the February 25 election.
They also argued that INEC failed to electronically transmit results from polling stations to an online portal, which undermined their authenticity. The arguments of the duo, were dismissed by the PEPC.
With the affirmation by the Supreme Court, Tinubu now has opportunity to lead Africa’s most populous country, which has been grappling with hyperinflation and high cost of fuel, the country’s most essential commodity since his inauguration.
The country is also facing continuous devaluation of its currency, which has made imports for an import-dependent country very expensive and life very difficult for the citizens. Following the pronouncement of his victory, the naira suffered a downward slide both officially and at the black market to an unprecedented N1300 to the dollar.
Measures announced by the Tinubu government to check the worsening situation like abolishing parallel market for foreign exchange and delivery of palliatives to the citizens have not helped to cushion the effects of the biting inflation and hardship.
The high cost of living has made things worse when added to the rising incidence of insecurity, crude oil theft and official corruption.
The PDP while reacting to the ruling, said it was, “alarmed and disappointed.” “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.
But the Tinubu camp welcomed the judgment, saying it has now opened the door for everyone to come together to build the country.
“We are all members of one household, and this moment demands that we continue to work and build our country together,” Tinubu said in a statement.
Nigeria returned to democratic rule 1999 after many years of military dictatorship. But election frauds and official corruption have continued to mar governance and accountability in the country.
The judgment by seven Supreme Court judges, which is final, follows a pattern in previous presidential elections that have been challenged in court. None of the attempts to overturn results through the courts has been successful.