Seven (7) States Drop Lawsuit Seeking to Nullify Tinubu’s Win
Seven Nigerian states that had approached the Supreme Court to nullify the election victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have withdrawn their suit. Adamawa State, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Taraba, and Sokoto, led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, had filed a notice of discontinuance of the case on Friday, alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had breached the Electoral Act of 2022 during the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25. The plaintiffs had argued that the election results from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were not correctly transmitted and collated by INEC, as required by law. They further alleged that INEC had taken down its portal containing the regulations and guidelines it had set for the elections.
The states, which are currently under the control of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had applied for an order from the apex court to mandate “a holistic review of all results so far announced by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the INEC which were carried out other than through the manner prescribed by the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and the INEC Manual for Election Officials”.
The plaintiffs had also requested the court to declare that the Federal Government of Nigeria and INEC were bound to electronically transmit or transfer polling unit results using BVAS by uploading scanned copies of the said unit result to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in compliance with the provisions of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, governing the 2023 nationwide general elections.
However, the seven states have now withdrawn their suit, leaving Tinubu’s election victory unchallenged. It remains unclear why they chose to discontinue the case. Tinubu, a former Lagos State Governor, emerged victorious in the February 25 election after defeating his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, with over 55% of the vote.
Tinubu is widely regarded as a political heavyweight and a leading figure in Nigeria’s ruling APC. His election victory has been welcomed by many Nigerians who believe he has the experience and leadership qualities needed to tackle the country’s numerous challenges, including insecurity, corruption, and economic stagnation.
It is expected that Tinubu will be inaugurated as the new President of Nigeria on May 29, 2023, following the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in office. The President-elect has promised to prioritize the welfare of Nigerians and to work towards achieving greater economic growth and development across the country.
