….. Appeal Lacks Merit
…. Affirms Tinubu’s Victory
The Supreme Court, on Thursday dismissed the appeal by former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, seeking to nullify the February 25, presidential poll of President Bola Tinubu.
In the notice of appeal, Atiku had urged the apex court to dismiss and set aside the September 6, judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court, which affirmed the victory President Tinubu.
A 7-man panel of Justices led by John Okoro Inyang, in determining the first issue for determination, held that failure to transmit election results electronically did not affect the outcome of the election and could not warrant the nullification of presidential election.
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The apex court also stated that Atiku did not produce alternative results of the presidential election that showed he won majority number of votes cast to rebuff the one declared by INEC.
The court resolved all the 7 issues distilled for determination in favour of Tinubu, stating that the appeal lacked merit.
Meanwhile, The full text is below:
I welcome the verdict of the Justice John I. Okoro-led Panel of the Supreme Court on the Presidential Election petitions filed by the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, challenging the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The court has done justice to all issues put up for consideration in the petitions on the merits of the law, without fear or favour.
There is no doubt, with the profound judgment of today, that our electoral jurisprudence and constitutional democracy are further consolidated and embedded more indelibly in our national identity because of the diligence and undaunted professionalism of the Honourable Justices who presided over the matter.
While the verdict of today has laid to rest the agitating discourse over who truly won the 2023 Presidential election and met the constitutional requirements as laid out by law, I want to reiterate that my faith in our nation’s judiciary has never been shaken, not even for a moment, because I know that our hallowed courts of law will not fail to administer justice to all Nigerians in all matters and at all times. Despite the fusillade of pressure and attempts at intimidation by some political actors, the judiciary demonstrated its unequivocal commitment to upholding the rule of law for the upliftment and defense of humanity.
