In a significant event at the Supreme Court today, the judgment on the 2023 presidential election was delivered. Strikingly, key political figures were conspicuously absent from the proceedings.
Notably, former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, chose not to attend the court session where the verdict was to be announced. Equally absent was President Bola Tinubu, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, whose election victory had been under scrutiny by the court.
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This legal battle began when Atiku and Obi contested the electoral outcome after Bola Tinubu was declared the victor of the closely contested election. The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) in Abuja affirmed Tinubu’s electoral win on September 6, ruling that the allegations brought forward by the petitioners, PDP and Atiku, did not have sufficient merit.
Not satisfied with the PEPC’s judgment, Atiku and Obi brought their appeal to the Supreme Court. After careful deliberation, the apex court scheduled October 26 for its final verdict on their appeals.
The seven justices responsible for this momentous decision included Inyang Okoro, Uwani Abba-Aji, Lawal Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Abubakar Tijjani, and Emmanuel Akomaye Agim.
This judgment signifies the culmination of a two-stage legal battle over the election, with the presidential election court initially ruling in favor of Tinubu. Notable legal practitioners and other prominent figures were in attendance at the Supreme Court for the pivotal announcement. Present were key political figures such as the APC and Labour Party chairmen, Abdullahi Ganduje and Julius Abure, as well as prominent officials including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The son of the President, Seyi Tinubu, was also among those present.
However, some conspicuous absences in the courtroom included President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Notably missing were Atiku and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as Obi and his running mate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.