On October 30, 2019 Nigeria’s Supreme Court turned down the appeal of the presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP over the result of the February 2019 presidential election that Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC won. Atiku had approached the apex court to set aside the presidential election petition tribunal’s judgment that rejected his petition that he and not Buhari won the election. He wanted the Supreme Court to declare him the winner of the election.

However, the Court dismissed the appeal after a few hours of sitting, which took every stakeholder
by surprise. The Court said that the reasons for its ruling would be made known at a later date. Today the court in a unanimous decision read by Justice John Inyang Okoro said that Atiku failed to prove his case. He presented only five witnesses that could not prove his allegations of irregularities in the election. Justice Okoro said that one of the witnesses Atiku presented relied on hearsay. The Court also concluded that President Muhammadu Buhari was eminently qualified to contest the election—a prominent plank of Atiku’s petition and appeal.

The lead counsel who headed a team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria to argue the plaintiff’s case was not present in Court today when the Supreme Court gave reasons for its earlier verdict.