The Supreme Court, on Thursday, affirmed the election of President Bola Tinubu and dismissed the appeals filed by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP.
The Supreme Court agreed with the September 6 verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, on all counts. The seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Inyang Okoro, in an unanimous judgment, resolved the seven issues for determination in favour of Tinubu.
The seven justices who took the landmark decision were Inyang Okoro, Uwani Abba-Aji, Lawal Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Abubakar Tijjani and Emmanuel Akomaye Agim
The seven issues the court resolved in favour of Tinubu include:
** INEC substantially complied with the Electoral Act 2022 and the constitution in the conduct of the poll
** Election cannot be nullified due to unavailability of results on INEC’s IReV portal
** Failure to secure 25 per cent of votes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja cannot invalidate a winner’s election
**Petitioners did not prove allegations of rigging against Tinubu
**The issue of APC’s double nomination of Vice President Kashim Shettima had earlier been decided by the court on May 26, 2023
**Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460, 000 drug money was raised when the Respondents had already filed their process
**Petitioners did not provide alternative results to INEC’s figures
Why Supreme Court dismissed Obi’s appeal against Tinubu’s election
The Supreme Court has dismissed as lacking in merit, the appeal the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, filed to nullify President Bola Tinubu’s election.
In a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel of Justices, the apex court held that Obi’s appeal deserved to be dismissed.
In the lead judgment that was delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the court held that issues Obi raised in his case were already decided in a separate appeal that was filed by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Justice Okoro noted that the only distinct issue that Obi raised in his appeal, was the issue that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, had double nominations from the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The court held that it had earlier decided the issue on May 26, in an appeal marked: SC/CV/501/2023.
“This court cannot allow the matter to be relitigated in this court. There must be an end to litigation. This matter ought not to have come here.
“The appeal lacks merit and it is accordingly dismissed,” the apex court held.
