A cloud of uncertainty hangs over President Bola Tinubu and 25 state governors as they anxiously await the verdicts of the tribunals overseeing various election petitions, including those related to presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly elections. These panels are scheduled to deliver their judgments this month.
In the aftermath of governorship elections held in 28 states, disputes over the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission have arisen in no fewer than 25 of those states. Multiple tribunals across the nation, including Lagos, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, and 21 others, along with Abuja, have concluded hearings and adopted written addresses in accordance with the Practice Direction for election petitions, as issued by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen.
With the fate of their petitions hanging in the balance, political parties and their candidates have resorted to prayers and offered cautious words of advice to the justices, urging them to act justly.
In November 2022, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, swore in 307 justices tasked with handling the 2023 election petitions. An additional 39 justices were inaugurated on May 25, 2023, bringing the total to 346. These justices are expected to render their judgments by September 16, as mandated by law. Section 285 (6) of the 1999 constitution stipulates that “an election tribunal shall deliver judgment in writing within 180 days from the date of filing of the petition.”
The presidential election petition tribunal, which includes the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as petitioners, closed their cases in June after summoning 40 out of the 150 witnesses initially listed in their petitions challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress and the President.
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While President Tinubu’s legal team has offered prayers for a favorable outcome, Atiku’s legal team has cautioned the tribunal against succumbing to executive intimidation and urged them to dispense justice.
Yusuf Ali, SAN, a member of the President’s legal team, expressed hope for victory and reminded that cases are decided in the court and not through media outlets. He emphasized that the court evaluates facts and applies the law.
Bala Ibrahim, Director of Publicity for the APC, refuted claims of pressure on the ruling party and expressed confidence in the delivery of justice. He noted the ruling party had already presented its case, unlike the Labour Party, which was still involved in legal proceedings.
Mike Ozekhome, SAN, a member of Atiku’s legal team, called on the tribunal to prioritize justice, stating that Nigerians and the international community were closely monitoring the proceedings.
The PDP expressed its confidence in the tribunal’s ability to dispense justice, with its Deputy National Publicity Secretary simply saying “Success” when asked about their expectations.
Timothy Osadolor, a loyalist of Atiku and Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, believed that the weight of evidence presented would lead to a just outcome.
Similarly, Kehinde Edun, National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, expressed hope for a favorable judgment.
