Just In: Supreme Court Gives Reasons Why It Rejected Atiku’s Appeal Against Buhari

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which held that President Muhammadu Buhari was educationally qualified to contest the 2019 presidential election.

Naija News reported that the Supreme Court had on October 30, dismissed the case instituted by Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the 2019 election victory of President Buhari, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The seven-man panel of the court, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Mohammed in a unanimous judgement, affirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari was validly elected as Nigeria’s President in the February 23 presidential election.

The Supreme Court panel, however, said it will give reasons for its decision at a later date.

Atiku and PDP had challenged the entire judgment of the PEPT which had affirmed the re-election of Buhari.

The final court in the land dismissed the appeal in less than one hour it was heard by its 7-member panel of Justices.

Delivering full judgement on Friday where it explained its rejection of Atiku’s appeal, the Supreme Court said Nigerian Constitution only required a candidate contesting the presidential election to be educated up to secondary education even when the candidate does not possess the certificate.

The full judgement which was prepared by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, but read by Justice John Okoro stated that by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution, a candidate who possesses a primary school certificate and has worked in the public or private service for a period not less than 10 years, and can read, write and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of INEC is qualified to contest.

The Apex court also stated that President Buhari did not submit false information about his educational qualification to INEC.

The Supreme Court also said Atiku Abubakar and the PDP failed to prove the alleged irregularities including overvoting during the 2019 presidential election.

Naija News reports that the judgment is still being delivered.