The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed Atiku Abubakar’s appeal to nullify Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the February 25th presidential election.
The ruling, which was delivered by Justice John Okoro cited procedural shortcomings in Atiku’s case, asserting that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate had failed to adequately substantiate his claims.
According to Justice Okoro, “What attempts did the appellants make to obtain these documents [from Chicago State University] between the date of filing the petition and the conclusion of trial.
“To say the least, the above questions are critical in the quest of this Court’s efforts to decide whether the new evidence sought … could have been obtained for use at the trial.
“With due respect to the appellant and their counsel, they were a bit tardy and were not reasonably intelligent in their attempt at obtaining the document…”
The Supreme Court’s decision brings an end to a contentious legal battle that has gripped Nigeria since the presidential election results were announced. Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidate, had challenged the election outcome, alleging irregularities and fraud in the voting process.
The justices’ ruling was unequivocal. They contended that Atiku Abubakar had not presented a compelling case and had failed to meet the burden of proof necessary to overturn the election results. Furthermore, the Supreme Court justices criticized the PDP candidate, characterizing his appeal as lacking the required legal acumen.
