An Appeals Court in Nigeria Is Set to Rule on the President's Disputed Election Victory
U.S. News & World Report ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) An appeals court in Nigeria convened Wednesday to rule on whether President Bola Tinubu's February election victory was legitimate, a decision that has put Africa's most populous country on edge.
The opposition challenged the election results, arguing that Tinubu was not qualified to run for president because he was a citizen of Guinea and allegedly did not have the required academic credentials. The opposition has hinted at possible protests if the court rules in his favor.
Tinubu has denied all the allegations.
Security was tight in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, where five judges at the Court of Appeal were expected to hand down their ruling. The tribunal is empowered to either uphold Tinubu's election win, declare someone else the winner, annul the vote or to order a new election. Whatever decision they make can be appealed at Nigeria's Supreme Court.
If the judges annul the presidential election, it would be a first in Nigeria's history. A presidential election can be annulled only on the basis of evidence that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not follow the law and acted in ways that might have affected an election's outcome.
