Tinubu's presidential win upheld by election tribunal

Nigeria's presidential election tribunal on Wednesday rejected challenges by opposition rivals to Bola Tinubu's win in February's disputed vote, following a pattern seen in previous election years in Africa's most populous country.

No legal challenge to the outcome of a presidential election has succeeded in Nigeria, which returned to democracy in 1999 after three decades of almost uninterrupted military rule and has a history of electoral fraud.

Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who came second and third respectively, had asked the court to cancel the election, alleging irregularities.

Justices of the five-member tribunal, taking turns to read out judgements for more than 11 hours, rejected Atiku and Obi's individual petitions point-by-point.

Judge Haruna Tsammani said Obi's petition was "unmeritorious" and had "not led any credible evidence sufficient enough" to back claims of irregularities.

Tsammani said Atiku's allegations of vote fraud and were "so lame" and dismissed his argument that Tinubu was not qualified to run for president.

"The petitions are hereby dismissed," said Tsammani.

Obi and Atiku, who were not in court, could not be immediately reached for comment. Obi's Labour Party in a statement rejected the judgment and said it would announce its next steps after a meeting with lawyers.

In a statement from India where he is preparing to take part in the G20 summit, Tinubu welcomed the tribunal ruling and urged his rivals and their supporters to support his government.

European Union observers had said in June that the elections were marred by problems including operational failures and a lack of transparency that reduced public trust in the process.

However, the elections stirred little sign of a groundswell of popular opposition, and Tinubu has been accepted by the international community as Nigeria's legitimate leader.


Atiku and Obi can appeal to the country's Supreme Court to strike down the tribunal's ruling. Any appeal must be concluded within 60 days of the date of the tribunal judgment.

While favourable to Tinubu, the tribunal's ruling was unlikely to generate any particular euphoria or momentum for the president after an election marked by record low turnout of 29%.

In a nation of more than 200 million people of whom 87 million were registered to vote, Tinubu garnered just 8.79 million votes, the fewest of any president since the return to democracy, limiting the goodwill towards him.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

Related story: Tribunal in Nigeria to decide if Tinubu stays as president

India gives $14 billion investment pledges to Nigeria

Nigeria has secured nearly $14 billion of pledges from Indian investors and seeks an economic cooperation pact with the South Asian nation, a presidential spokesperson said on Wednesday.

India's Jindal Steel and Power (JNSP.NS) has committed to pump $3 billion into Nigeria's steel sector and Indorama Corp plans to invest an additional $8 billion to expand its petrochemical facility in the West African country, spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement.

Skipperseil Ltd's founding Chairman Jitender Sachdeva and India's Bharti Enterprises each pledged $1.6 billion over four years to build power generation plants and $700 million in Nigeria, respectively, Ngelale said.

Separately, Nigeria approved a $1 billion partnership agreement with the Indian government to help the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria attain 40% self-sufficiency in local manufacturing and production of defence equipment in three years, Ngelale said.

President Bola Tinubu, who will attend the G20 summit in New Delhi representing a guest country later this week, held talks with Indian investors under the Nigeria-India presidential roundtable and conference to mobilize global capital to develop infrastructure.

Tinubu is attending at the invitation of India, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the bloc.

"We are ready to give you the best returns for investment possible, there's nowhere else like our country," Tinubu said in the statement.

The government of Africa's top oil producer wants to encourage investments rather than rely on borrowing to fund job creation and build badly needed infrastructure such as railways, roads and power plants.

Tinubu has embarked on Nigeria's boldest reforms in decades, including scrapping a popular but expensive petrol subsidy and lifting foreign exchange trading curbs. He has pledged to revive an economy struggling with record debt, anaemic growth, unemployment, and double-digit inflation.


Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is considering applying to become the continent's second member of the G20, after South Africa, and is consulting on the risks and benefits.

By Nidhi Verma and Felix Onuah, Reuters

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Authorities say the train service will operate 12 trips daily for the next four weeks using the locomotive system. Electric power train operation will follow thereafter with 76 trips planned for each day, transporting at least 150,000 passengers.

CGTN

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Tribunal in Nigeria to decide if Tinubu stays as president

 Nigeria's presidential election tribunal is due to rule on Wednesday on whether Bola Tinubu should stay as president after two rivals challenged his victory in February's disputed vote.

There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of previous Nigerian presidential elections but none have succeeded. Most political observers expect the tribunal to uphold Tinubu's win.

Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party and Labour Party's Peter Obi asked the court to invalidate the election, alleging irregularities and accused the electoral body of breaching the law by failing to use electronic machines to upload polling station results, among other criticisms.

The tribunal, which will deliver its ruling in the capital Abuja, has the power to cancel an election and order a fresh one, among other remedies.

If it upholds Tinubu's win, Atiku and Obi can still make a final appeal at the country's Supreme Court, the highest court in Nigeria. An appeal should be concluded within 60 days from the date of the tribunal judgment.

Ahead of the ruling, the military set up check-points on major roads into Abuja, randomly searching commuters and vehicles.

Tinubu, who is in India ahead of a G20 Summit, has defended his victory and says he is focused on reviving the economy. He has implemented reforms that include removing a popular but costly petrol subsidy and ending currency controls.

But getting Nigerians to stomach the painful reforms has been hard and the 71-year-old veteran faces opposition from labour unions, who started a two-day strike on Tuesday ahead of an indefinite strike from Sept. 21.

Anaemic growth, high unemployment, the highest inflation rate in two decades, record debt, massive oil theft that has hit government revenues and widespread insecurity are among the issues that Tinubu inherited from predecessor Muhammadu Buhari.

Fixing these pressing problems requires public support but Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes, the fewest won by a Nigerian president since the country returned to democracy in 1999, limiting the goodwill towards him.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

Video - President Bola Tinubu raises alarm over increasing numbers of coups

Nigerian presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale said President Tinubu continues to work with other African heads of state on how to handle the crisis in Gabon. Tinubu wants a united front against the growing threat of what he calls "contagious autocracy”. The governments of Sudan, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, and now, Gabon are all under military rule.

CGTN