Nigerian election tribunal to decide if Tinubu stays as president

The verdict of Nigeria’s presidential election tribunal is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday regarding the challenge to Bola Tinubu’s victory in the disputed vote held in February. The outcome of previous presidential elections in Nigeria has faced legal challenges, but none have been successful. It is widely anticipated that the tribunal will confirm Tinubu as the winner.

The People’s Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi from the Labour Party have requested the court to nullify the election results, citing irregularities and accusing the electoral body of violating the law by not utilizing electronic machines to upload polling station results, among other criticisms.

The tribunal, entrusted with the authority to nullify an election and call for a fresh one, among other remedies, will announce its decision in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.

In the event of Tinubu’s win being upheld, Atiku and Obi may still appeal to the country’s Supreme Court, which serves as the highest court in Nigeria. The appeal process should be completed within 60 days from the date of the tribunal judgment.

Ahead of the announcement, the military has established checkpoints on major roads leading into Abuja, conducting random searches of commuters and vehicles.

During his visit to India for the G20 Summit, Tinubu has defended the legitimacy of his victory and expressed his focus on revitalizing the economy. He has implemented reforms such as the removal of a popular but costly petrol subsidy and the end of currency controls.

However, garnering public support for these challenging reforms has proved difficult, and the 71-year-old leader faces opposition from labor unions, who have commenced a two-day strike and plan to initiate an indefinite strike starting on September 21.

Anaemic economic growth, high unemployment rates, the highest inflation rate in two decades, mounting debt, extensive oil theft impacting government revenues, and widespread insecurity are among the significant issues Tinubu inherited from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

Tackling these urgent problems necessitates public backing. However, Tinubu only secured 8.79 million votes, the lowest number ever obtained by a Nigerian president since the country’s return to democracy in 1999, thus limiting the goodwill towards his administration.

(Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Alison Williams)