The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Nigeria has dismissed the appeals filed by the main opposition parties challenging the outcome of the February 2023 presidential election. The tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of electoral fraud, irregularities, and ineligibility against the incumbent President Bola Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
President Tinubu, who was elected for a second term with 55.6% of the votes, welcomed the judgment and pledged to serve all Nigerians regardless of their political affiliations. He also commended the professionalism and impartiality of the tribunal judges, saying that their verdict reflected the maturity of Nigeria’s democracy and legal system.
The petitioners, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, had accused Tinubu and the electoral commission of manipulating the results, violating the electoral laws, and presenting false documents and witnesses. They also claimed that Tinubu was not qualified to run for president because he did not possess a valid school certificate.
However, the tribunal rejected all their claims and said they were either unsubstantiated or irrelevant. The tribunal also said that the petitioners failed to join some key parties, such as the governor of Kogi State and the chairman of a local government area, who were accused of electoral malpractice. The tribunal ordered the petitioners to bear their own costs.
The judgment was delivered after more than six hours of reading by the five-member panel, headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani. The tribunal’s decision is final and cannot be appealed.