Atiku Abubakar - The African Mirror

Nov

2023

Nigeria opposition’s Obi slams court ruling confirming Tinubu election win

NIGERIA'S opposition Labour Party leader Peter Obi criticised the Supreme Court's ruling affirming President Bola Tinubu's victory in February's elections and vowed to continue to fight for a "New Nigeria". The country's top court on October 26 rejected an attempt to overturn the election result by the main opposition leader Atiku Abubakar and Obi, who came second and third in the vote, slamming the door on any legal challenge against Tinubu, who says he won fairly. The Supreme Court judgment followed a pattern seen in previous presidential elections that have been challenged in court. None of the attempts to overturn results through…

Oct

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s Atiku says court ruling will erode trust in elections

NEWS

NIGERIA'S main opposition leader Atiku Abubakar said last week's Supreme Court decision affirming President Bola Tinubu's election win would erode trust in elections and called for changes to the electoral laws to improve transparency. The country's top court rejected a challenge by Atiku and Peter Obi, who came second and third in the vote, slamming the door on any legal challenge against Tinubu, who says he won fairly. Reacting to the judgment for the first time, Atiku told reporters the court's decision would lead to "the erosion of trust in the electoral system and our democracy". He criticised the judges for refusing…

Oct

2023

By CAMILLUS EBOH

Nigerian Supreme Court affirms President Tinubu’s election win

NEWS

NIGERIA'S Supreme Court upheld President Bola Tinubu's election win, bringing to an end a legal challenge brought by his two main rivals, who argued that his victory was marred by irregularities. The ruling will give 71-year-old Tinubu a clear mandate to govern Africa's most populous nation, which is grappling with double-digit inflation, foreign currency shortages, a weakening naira, widespread insecurity and crude oil theft. The biggest opposition, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), said it was "alarmed and disappointed" by the ruling, but Tinubu welcomed the judgment. "We are all members of one household, and this moment demands that we continue…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

NIGERIA: The court battle to save the elections

NEWS

NIGERIA'S ruling party has asked the Appeals Court to dismiss a petition by third-placed candidate Peter Obi who is challenging the victory of president-elect Bola Tinubu following a disputed election in February, court documents showed. Labour Party's Peter Obi, who came third in the election, and second-placed opposition People's Democratic Party's (PDP) Atiku Abubakar last month separately challenged the results in court. The two candidates said the results were fraudulent, citing Tinubu, his ruling All Progressives Congress Party (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents. The APC said in a countersuit on Tuesday that Obi's petition should be dismissed on several…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s Atiku, supporters march to protest presidential election results

NEWS

CAMILLUS EBOH NIGERIAN presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar led hundreds of supporters in a peaceful protest over the electoral commission's handling of last month's disputed vote which the commission says was won by ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu. Atiku and senior members of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) led placard-holding supporters during a march to the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the federal capital Abuja where they handed in a petition. INEC's results showed that Tinubu won the Feb. 25 election with 37% of the vote against Atiku's 29%, while Labour Party's Peter Obi polled 25%. Atiku…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s Obi says he, not Tinubu, won presidential election

NEWS

CAMILLUS EBOH NIGERIAN presidential candidate Peter Obi said he had won Saturday's election, called Bola Tinubu's victory fraudulent and promised to claim the top job through legal means. Tinubu, the ruling party candidate, was declared president-elect of Africa's most populous nation on Wednesday, having won 37% of the vote. He said the election was credible and the reported problems had had no impact on the overall outcome. The main opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar, received 29% of the vote, while Obi, an outsider popular with young and educated urban voters, got 25%, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). "Let me assure…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to “renew hope” for Nigeria – 5 ways he can achieve this

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE 2023 presidential election in Nigeria has been formally won – and lost. By mid-week Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the ruling All Progressives Congress had been declared the winner of the keenly contested presidential election with 36% of the 24,965,218 votes cast. His closest rivals were Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi. Abubakar got 29% of the votes cast while got Obi got 25%. Author AL CHUKWUMA OKOLI, SeniorLecturer, Security Sector Consultant-researcher, Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria, Federal University Lafia Atiku’s and Obi’s parties described the poll as a…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s Peter Obi wins in Lagos state in presidential election

NEWS

NIGERIAN presidential candidate Peter Obi, whose campaign attracted young people and urban voters fed up with corrupt politics, won the most votes in the commercial hub of Lagos state, where Africa's biggest city is located. Nigeria's electoral commission began announcing state-by-state results in the national elections on Sunday, though it is not expected to name a victor in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari for several days. Obi of the Labour Party got 582,454 votes, just ahead of 572,606 for former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu for the governing All Progressives Congress party, electoral commission data showed on Monday. Lagos was previously…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Factbox: Nigeria election 2023: how it all works

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE and SOFIA CHRISTENSEN NIGERIANS are set to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday which is seen as the most wide-open since Africa's most populous nation switched from military rule to democracy in 1999. Of the 18 candidates vying to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, three stand a chance: former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, 70, the ruling party candidate; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 76, the main opposition candidate; Peter Obi, 61, a challenger popular among young voters. Here are key facts about the logistics of the election, Africa's largest democratic contest: WHEN IS IT? Voting takes place…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigerian Elections: Atiku promises unity, economic bounce

NEWS

NIGERIA'S presidential hopeful Atiku Abubakar said he would bring peace and unity to the country and improve its economic fortunes as he made his final campaign stop. Economic hardships, including the highest inflation in nearly two decades, unemployment and shortages of cash, and widespread insecurity from a long-running insurgency and secessionist violence are among the top concerns for voters going into the February 25 election. The 76-year-old candidate from the main opposition People's Democratic Party is among the top three contenders vying to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, who steps down after next week's presidential and parliamentary elections. Despite Atiku's national appeal, at…