The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has issued a landmark ruling on the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria. This judgement, eagerly awaited by many, addresses several pivotal issues that have been the subject of public and legal scrutiny.

Shettima’s Double Nomination: A Non-Issue

The Tribunal ruled that Shettima’s double nomination was unintentional and therefore does not disqualify him from the presidential race. This clears the way for his continued candidacy.

FCT’s Status Clarified

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is to be considered as part of the 36 states of Nigeria, the Tribunal stated, negating any special privileges for the FCT.

Drug Offences: Not a Disqualifier

The forfeiture of proceeds from drug offences was deemed not to be a criminal act by the Tribunal. The candidate involved was not banned from entering the United States, and the incident was noted to have occurred a long time ago.

Labour Party’s Shortcomings

The Labour Party’s failure to list the names of all the polling units from which over 18,000 blurred election result sheets originated was a significant oversight, according to the Tribunal.

INEC’s Electronic Transmission

The Tribunal clarified that although INEC indicated they might transmit election results electronically, they did not make a formal commitment to do so.

The Guinean Passport Saga

The alleged Guinean passport was not properly submitted to the court, and no new petition window was available, the Tribunal ruled.

This ruling sets important legal precedents for future elections in Nigeria and has far-reaching implications for the country’s political landscape.