The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has validated Bola Tinubu’s victory in Nigeria’s February election, dismissing the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. The court held that the allegations of irregularities lacked merit. The ruling clarified key points: Abuja doesn’t need 25% votes, INEC wasn’t compelled to use BVAS, electronic result transmission was discretionary, Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture wasn’t criminal, and his candidacy was valid. The tribunal also highlighted that INEC was not mandated to electronically transmit results and affirmed Tinubu’s qualification for the presidency.
In addressing Peter Obi’s petition, the tribunal emphasized that Tinubu’s alleged involvement in drug dealings was a civil forfeiture, not a criminal one. The court also stated that even if Tinubu were convicted, it wouldn’t disqualify him as the conviction must occur within 10 years of the election, which wasn’t the case.
Regarding Atiku’s petition, the tribunal held that for an election to be nullified, there must be substantial proof of non-compliance, corrupt practices, or irregularities. It noted that the witnesses called by Atiku were insufficient given the scale of the election. The tribunal reiterated that electronic transmission wasn’t a requirement, and INEC had the discretion on how to upload results.
The court further stated that Atiku’s petition lacked essential details, like specific locations of irregularities. It pointed out that his allegations of over-voting were insufficient as specific polling units weren’t mentioned. The tribunal dismissed the APM’s petition, declaring it incompetent, and maintained that the issue of double nomination had been addressed by the Supreme Court, making it non-justiciable in other courts.