Nigeria’s Supreme Court has commenced the hearing of a critical opposition challenge to the outcome of the February 2023 presidential election.
Bola Tinubu emerged as the victor in the contested election, but his main rivals, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, are pushing for the country’s highest court to overturn the decision of the Election Petition Court, which had validated Mr. Tinubu’s win.
This legal battle threatens to exacerbate political tensions and further divide the nation along party lines.
The final ruling by the seven judges on the Supreme Court panel is expected in the coming weeks, and its decision will either uphold a historical pattern of presidential election results in Nigeria or potentially introduce a groundbreaking twist, with Mr. Abubakar presenting new evidence regarding the authenticity of the president’s educational certificate, a claim contested by Mr. Tinubu.
The ongoing dispute over Nigeria’s February 2023 presidential election result has reached a critical juncture as Bola Tinubu, the declared winner, stands in opposition to the presentation of new evidence in the Supreme Court.
The Election Petition Court had previously ruled against the opposition’s claim that the election was marred by irregularities, stating their inability to prove allegations of over-voting and voter suppression.
Atiku Abubakar is seeking to introduce fresh evidence related to the authenticity of President Tinubu’s educational certificate, which could sway the court’s decision.