Nigeria’s Supreme Court affirmed on Thursday, the election victory of President Bola Tinubu, thereby concluding a legal dispute initiated by his primary competitors. They contended that his win was tainted by irregularities.
This decision provides a resounding mandate for 71-year-old President Bola Tinubu to lead Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation. Nigeria faces substantial challenges, including double-digit inflation, foreign currency shortages, a depreciating naira, pervasive security concerns, and incidents of crude oil theft.
In 1999, Nigeria transitioned back to democracy after enduring nearly three decades of nearly continuous military rule. However, allegations of electoral manipulation and fraudulent practices have persisted throughout its electoral processes.
This definitive verdict delivered by a panel of seven Supreme Court judges conforms to a recurring pattern observed in past presidential elections that faced legal challenges. Historically, all efforts to reverse election outcomes through the judicial system have proven unsuccessful.
Furthermore, the court dismissed Atiku’s attempt to introduce fresh evidence claiming that Tinubu had presented a counterfeit university certificate to the electoral agency, an assertion strongly refuted by Tinubu.