NIGERIA, Abuja – Nigeria’s two main opposition leaders on Tuesday filed separate appeals at the Supreme Court challenging a tribunal ruling that earlier this month upheld President Bola Tinubu’s victory in a disputed February election.
No legal challenge to the outcome of a presidential election has succeeded in Nigeria, which returned to democracy in 1999 after three decades of almost uninterrupted military rule and has a history of electoral fraud.
Atiku, from the People’s Democratic Party who came second in the election, said in a court filing that the tribunal erred in law “when it failed to nullify the presidential election … on the ground of non compliance” with the electoral law.
Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who polled third in the presidential race, also filed his appeal, a spokesperson for his campaign told Reuters.
The two had up to Wednesday to challenge the September 6 tribunal ruling. The Supreme Court, the highest in Nigeria, has 60 days to rule on the appeals.
A five-member tribunal had rejected the challenge by Atiku, and Obi, who asked the tribunal to cancel the election, alleging irregularities.
Tinubu, who is attending the United Nations meeting in New York, has defended his victory, saying he won fairly.
