NIGERIA: Opposition leaders challenge court's verdict, head to Supreme Court

By Ollus Ndomu

In a decisive move, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, have firmly rejected the Wednesday court ruling that declared Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s duly elected president.

Both leaders say that the court’s decision does not reflect the “desires of the people” and have vowed to take their appeals to the Supreme Court, the ultimate authority in presidential election disputes.

The Presidential Election Petition Court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, delivered a unanimous verdict on Wednesday, dismissing the petitions presented by Atiku and Mr. Obi.

In its ruling, the court cited the inability of the opposition candidates to substantiate their respective cases while a third petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) was also deemed meritless.

Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, expressed deep disappointment with the judgement, emphasizing that it failed to uphold the law and the people’s wishes.

He affirmed the party’s unwavering commitment to pursuing justice, stating that “what is at stake is democracy, and we will not relent until the people prevail.”

Shortly after the verdict, Atiku’s lead lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), confirmed that he had received strong instructions from his client to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

Likewise, Mr. Obi’s lead counsel, Livy Uzoukwu, a SAN, conveyed the Labour Party’s presidential candidate’s dissatisfaction with the court’s decision.

This marked a crucial turning point in their legal battle, as they sought to rectify what they perceived as an unjust judgement.

As this contentious issue unfolds, all eyes will now be on the Supreme Court as it prepares to hear the appeals brought forth by Atiku, Peter Obi, and the Labour Party, setting the stage for further legal proceedings in Nigeria’s political landscape.