September 6, 2023 resonated with slues of emotions on both sides of Nigeria’s political divide as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, delivered its much-anticipated verdict on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
In a 12-hour-long ruling, the five-man panel of PEPT led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, dismissed the consolidated petitions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and the Labour Party, LP, and affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu at the February 25, 2023 polls.
“This petition accordingly lacks merit. I affirm the return of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The parties are to bear their cost,” the judge said.
Given the antecedents of Nigeria’s post-election adjudication, where no judicial cancelation has been recorded against a presidential election since 1999, it was not surprising that the judgment swayed in favour of the candidate of the APC.
Needless to interrogate the timing of the judgment, the judiciary was predictable. Over time, it has shown a leaning towards a trajectory of post-election affirmation of winners of presidential election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
While the court’s ruling is respected and deserves the acceptance all Nigerians, especially as a respected federal institution, it is necessary to submit that petitioning election outcome is the right of all contestants, which may not translate into upturning an electoral mandate.
The tribunal served the dual purpose of taking a holistic look at complaints put forward by the petitioners, over what transpired during the polls, with a view to making a judicial decision on its outcome, as well as an avenue where aggrieved parties vented their angst against political opponents they perceived did not act within the ambit of the country’s electoral laws.
It was, therefore, at the discretion of the court to decide when a petitioner has proven his case enough to warrant an annulment or not. It was not necessary to scold and criticise petitioners for lack of proofs beyond “any reasonable doubt.” Such a disposition towards candidates who have lost an election and are seeking redress could encourage the use of alternative means to vent their displeasure in subsequent exercises.
The confidence reposed on Nigeria’s judicial institution and the petitioners’ firm belief in its ability to dispense justice is patriotic enough to deserve commendation. While we congratulate the president for his victory at the tribunal, the petitioners also deserve the praise of Nigerians for their determination to deepen democracy and good governance in the country. They should not be jeered, smeared or vilified for their patriotic actions to ensure that the nation gets it right on its electoral process.
As the APC-led administration celebrates its victory at the tribunal and, perhaps, prepares its legal team for the fireworks at the Supreme Court, it is necessary to note that the question of legitimacy of its government has been resolved, and on time, to give it ample time to perform.
Its 3-month-old government has inflicted pain and severe suffering on Nigerians, and weakened their purchasing power with policies whose benefits remain to be seen. Nigeria’s inflation in July 2023 rose to 24.08 per cent. It was 22.79 per cent in June 2023 and 22.41 per cent in May 2023.
With just 100 days in office, fuel price peaked at N617 per litre as a result of the fuel subsidy removal and a corresponding hike in transport fares and food prices. The government must be fast with its policies to mitigate the sufferings of Nigerians. So far, the Naira has maintained a free-fall before international currencies and remained timid in the face of foreign trade.
President Tinubu is on the threshold of history, to be remembered as the man who took Nigerians out of economic deprivation or one who deepened their poverty. Before his coming into office, 63 per cent of Nigerians were described as multi-dimensionally poor. The country awaits new statistics to situate his performance or response to Nigeria’s poor.
