2023 Polls: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi Absent As Supreme Court Delivers Judgment
On Thursday, during the momentous judgment delivery at the Supreme Court regarding the presidential election that took place on February 25, 2023, there were notable absences.
Notably, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his counterpart from the Labour Party, Peter Obi, were not present. Equally missing from the proceedings was President Bola Tinubu, who had contested the presidential election as the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and whose victory was under scrutiny by the highest court in the land.
This legal journey began when Atiku and Obi challenged the outcome of the keenly contested election, which had declared Tinubu as the victor. Their challenge took them to the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) in Abuja, where after about seven months of legal battles, the court affirmed Tinubu’s electoral victory.
The ruling, issued on September 6, declared that the petitioners, the PDP and Atiku, failed to successfully prove the allegations against Tinubu on this and all other grounds in their petition. In the words of Justice Haruna Tsammani, the leader of the five-man panel, “This petition accordingly lacks merit. I affirm the return of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The parties are to bear their cost.”
Read Also: Dapo Abiodun paid condolence visit to chief Chris Ogunbanjo’s family
Not satisfied with this decision, Atiku and Obi then turned to the Supreme Court to appeal the tribunal’s judgment, marking the final stage of their legal battle over the election. The apex court, during its last sitting on Wednesday, had set Thursday, October 26, as the date for the verdict on the appeals filed by Atiku and Obi.
The seven justices entrusted with this landmark decision were Inyang Okoro, Uwani Abba-Aji, Lawal Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Abubakar Tijjani, and Emmanuel Akomaye Agim. This judgment was anticipated to be the conclusive resolution of the election disputes, concluding a two-stage judicial battle that had begun with the presidential election court’s decision in favor of Tinubu and had now reached its pinnacle at the Supreme Court.
The courtroom was filled not only with the legal minds involved in the case but also with prominent figures, including top government officials, all eager to witness the judgment. Notable attendees included the chairmen of the APC and Labour Party, Abdullahi Ganduje and Julius Abure; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribudu; and the son of the President, Seyi Tinubu, among others.
However, there were conspicuous absences as well. President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were notably missing from the courtroom. Additionally, absent were Atiku and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as Peter Obi and his running mate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.
