Nigeria’s presidential election tribunal is due to rule on Wednesday on whether Bola Tinubu should stay as president after two rivals challenged his victory in February’s disputed vote.
There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of previous Nigerian presidential elections but none have succeeded. Most political observers expect the tribunal to uphold Tinubu’s win.
Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party and Labour Party’s Peter Obi asked the court to invalidate the election, alleging irregularities and accused the electoral body of breaching the law by failing to use electronic machines to upload polling station results, among other criticisms.
The tribunal, which will deliver its ruling in the capital Abuja, has the power to cancel an election and order a fresh one, among other remedies.
If it upholds Tinubu’s win, Atiku and Obi can still make a final appeal at the country’s Supreme Court, the highest court in Nigeria. An appeal should be concluded within 60 days from the date of the tribunal judgment.
Ahead of the ruling, the military set up check-points on major roads into Abuja, randomly searching commuters and vehicles.
Tinubu arrived in India’s New Delhi on Tuesday for the G20 Summit.
Tinubu is one of the many high-profile guests who will arrive in India for the summit including U.S. President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Saudi’s Mohammed Bin Salman.
The president received a warm welcome by Indian officials at the airport upon his arrival, which is his first visit to the country after assuming office from May 2023.
Leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies will start a summit in India’s capital on Saturday to try to find solutions to some of the world’s pressing problems amid a deep geopolitical divide over the war in Ukraine that threatens.
Related video: University of Pretoria’s Prof Christopher Isike on Tinubu being sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th President:
