Nigeria's main opposition leaders announced on Wednesday that they plan to appeal a court ruling that confirmed Bola Tinubu's victory in the February presidential election.
"I have asked my lawyers to activate my constitutionally guaranteed rights of appeal to the higher court, which, in the instance, is the Supreme Court [...] I believe that such is the only way through which our democracy can have a manifest expression of its true meaning." former vice president and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, stated.
Similarly, candidate Peter Obi from the Labour Party asserted at a press briefing that he has respect for the tribunal's views, but he disagreed with the judgement and will appeal immediately, media reported.
"It is my intention as a presidential candidate and the intention of the Labour Party to challenge this judgment by way of appeal immediately [...] Our legal team has already received our firm instruction to file an appeal against the decision," said Obi as cited by media
The court was later requested to cancel the electoral results, with the opposition asserting everything from vote fraud to the electoral agency's failure to post results electronically. The opposition claimed that elections were marred by irregularities.
Earlier on Wednesday, the court dismissed a petition filed by the Nigerian opposition Labour Party that sought to overturn the results of the February presidential election. The five-member Tribunal declared that Labor candidate Peter Obi's challenge was "baseless" after hours of reading the findings.
Tinubu was declared the winner of the presidential elections with 37% of the vote. People's Democratic Party candidate Atiku Abubakar reportedly came second with 29% and Obi came third with 25%, according to the data of the independent electoral commission released on March 1. Hours before the final results were tallied, representatives from both the People's Democratic Party and the Labor Party demanded a recount, claiming that the vote had been rigged.
After being elected, Tinubu underlined the importance of reconciliation.
"I take this opportunity to appeal to my fellow contestants to let us team up together," he said. "It is the only nation we have. It is one country and we must build together."