Nigeria’s leading opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar, expressed his concerns on Monday regarding the recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld President Bola Tinubu’s election victory. Abubakar argued that this decision could undermine faith in electoral processes and called for revisions to electoral laws to enhance transparency.
Nigeria’s highest court dismissed a challenge brought by Atiku and Peter Obi, who secured the second and third positions in the election, effectively closing the legal avenue for contesting Tinubu’s claim of a fair victory.
In his initial response to the court’s verdict, Atiku informed reporters that the decision would result in “the erosion of trust in the electoral system and our democracy”.
He criticized the judges for their refusal to admit new evidence, which he claimed demonstrated that Tinubu had used a forged university certificate to run for office. The president, however, denies this accusation.
“As for me and my party this phase of our work is done. However, I am not going away,” the 81-year-old Atiku said, hinting he may not be ready to retire from active politics.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007, advocated for amendments to Nigeria’s electoral laws. These amendments would include mandatory electronic voting and a requirement for a presidential candidate to secure over 50% of the vote to secure victory.
In Nigeria, a candidate currently only needs a simple majority and at least 25% of the votes in three-quarters of the country’s 36 states to be declared as the president.
The Supreme Court’s ruling follows a consistent pattern observed in past presidential elections that faced legal challenges. In all instances, attempts to reverse election outcomes through the legal system have not met with success.
