Nigeria’s Presidential Election Tribunal to Rule on Bola Tinubu’s Victory
ABUJA, Sept 6 (Reuters) – The presidential election tribunal in Nigeria is set to deliver its ruling on Wednesday regarding the validity of Bola Tinubu’s victory in February’s disputed vote. Tinubu, the current President of Nigeria, is facing challenges from two rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
Previous Nigerian presidential elections have been met with legal challenges, but none have succeeded in overturning the outcomes. However, this time, Abubakar and Obi are urging the court to invalidate the election, citing irregularities and accusing the electoral body of breaching the law by not utilizing electronic voting machines to upload polling station results.
The tribunal, based in the capital city of Abuja, holds the power to cancel an election and order a fresh one, among other possible remedies. Most political observers expect the tribunal to uphold Tinubu’s win. Should the ruling be in favor of Tinubu, Abubakar and Obi still have the option to make a final appeal at Nigeria’s Supreme Court, the highest court in the country. An appeal should be concluded within 60 days from the date of the tribunal judgment.
In anticipation of the tribunal’s ruling, the military has established checkpoints on major roads leading into Abuja, conducting random searches of commuters and vehicles to maintain security.
Tinubu, who is currently in India for a G20 Summit, has vigorously defended his victory and has emphasized his focus on reviving Nigeria’s economy. He has implemented reforms such as the removal of a popular but expensive petrol subsidy and the elimination of currency controls.
Despite Tinubu’s efforts, these reforms have been met with resistance from labor unions. On Tuesday, labor unions began a two-day strike, with plans for an indefinite strike starting on September 21. Tinubu inherited a host of challenges, including anaemic economic growth, high unemployment, the highest inflation rate in two decades, mounting debt, rampant oil theft, and widespread insecurity, from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Addressing these pressing issues requires significant public support. Tinubu, however, only garnered 8.79 million votes, the lowest number of votes won by a Nigerian president since the country’s return to democracy in 1999, indicating limited widespread support for the president.
The ruling by the presidential election tribunal will have significant implications for the future of Nigeria’s leadership and its efforts to tackle the pressing economic and security challenges. The decision is eagerly awaited by citizens and stakeholders alike.
(Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Alison Williams)