Supreme court begins hearing into Atiku, Obi, APM appeals against President Tinubu’s electoral victory

The Supreme Court will this morning October 23 hear the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), seeking the nullification of President Bola Tinubu’s electoral victory in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

The Panel of seven justices will be led by Justice Inyang Okoro. Others are Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, Justice Adamu Jauro, Justice Tijani Abubakar, Justice Emmanuel Agim and Justice Lawal Garba.

Present at the Supreme court this morning are the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; LP chairman, Julius Abure; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and other party faithful.

The apex court will hear the motion by the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar seeking to bring fresh evidence to prove that President Tinubu submitted a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The issues raised in the appeals include the eligibility of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s candidacy for the election. The appellants also raised the issue of President Tinubu’s inability to secure 25 per cent of valid votes cast in Abuja during the polls.

They are also contesting INEC’s failure to electronically transmit polling unit results to its Results Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time and allegations of vote manipulation in favour of Tinubu. The authenticity of President Tinubu’s academic records is also being challenged.

Atiku, Obi and the APM proceeded to the apex court after the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja on September 6 dismissed their claims that Tinubu did not win the election. The court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani ruled that the politicians  failed to substantiate their separate claims of widespread electoral malpractices during the conduct of the 25 February presidential election by Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC