Nigeria’s election tribunal will begin hearing opposition petitions contesting President-elect Bola Tinubu’s victory in the disputed February presidential election on Monday, court documents showed on Friday.
Tinubu, of the ruling All Progressives Congress party, trounced his closest challengers, PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who both claimed fraud and have filed a legal challenge.
There have been numerous legal challenges to previous Nigerian presidential election results, but none have been successful.
The hearing will take place in front of the Court of Appeal judges who make up the tribunal. The first day of hearings, according to Nigerian election laws, will see candidates’ lawyers agree on the witnesses and evidence to be utilised during the process.
Atiku and Obi want the tribunal to overturn Tinubu’s victory, claiming that the poll was marred by irregularities and other flaws. Tinubu, who is slated to be sworn in on May 29, claims he was elected fairly and wishes to have the petitions dismissed.
Obi campaigned as an outsider, energised young and first-time voters, and looked to widen the battle, bolstering some voters’ hopes for change following years of hardship and chronic insecurity under departing President Muhammadu Buhari, an army general.
However, Obi finished third, after Tinubu and Atiku, both of whom had formidable political machines and decades of experience.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman, Yakubu Mahmood have been accused of conniving with the ruling APC to rig the election in favour of Tinubu.
