As the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous in the world, Nigeria has a rich history of presidential elections that have shaped the political landscape of the nation.
Since the country's return to democracy in 1999, presidential elections have been hotly contested and scrutinised, with many candidates challenging the results in court.
From Olusegun Obasanjo's victory in 1999 to Muhammadu Buhari's win in 2019, the Nigerian political landscape has witnessed various legal battles that have tested the integrity of the electoral process.
1999 – President Olusegun Obasanjo was challenged by Chief Olu Falae
Obasanjo vs Falae In 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae contested the presidential election. Falae filed a suit at the Federal Court of Appeal in Abuja, challenging INEC’s declaration of Obasanjo as the winner. The election petition tribunal upheld Obasanjo’s victory and dismissed Falae’s petition.
2003 – Muhammadu Buhari challenged Obasanjo’s re-election
Obasanjo vs Buhari Muhammadu Buhari challenged Obasanjo’s re-election in the 2003 election. The petition was unanimously dismissed by four out of the five presiding judges. Buhari approached the Supreme Court, which validated the ruling of the tribunal and maintained that Obasanjo won the election.
2007 – Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar challenged the victory of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
Yar’Adua-Buhari election Umaru Yar’Adua won the 2007 presidential election, which was contested by Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar. The election tribunal panel upheld Yar’adua’s victory, but Buhari and Atiku approached the Supreme Court, which upheld Yar’adua’s win.
2011 – Buhari challenged the election of President Goodluck Jonathan
Jonathan vs Buhari Goodluck Jonathan won the 2011 presidential election, but Muhammadu Buhari challenged the result. The election petition tribunal and the Supreme Court upheld Jonathan’s victory.
2015 – The outlier
In the 2015 presidential election, Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari. The election was accepted by all contenders and was not challenged in court.
2019 – Atiku Abubakar challenged the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari
Buhari vs Atiku In the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar challenged Buhari’s victory, claiming that INEC refused to disclose results transmitted to its central server. The election petition tribunal and the Supreme Court dismissed Atiku’s petition and upheld Buhari’s win.
Today
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress as the winner of the 2023 presidential election, with 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party came in second with 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party was declared the second runner-up with 6,101,533 votes.
Atiku, Obi, and some other parties rejected the results announced by INEC and have approached the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to annul Tinubu’s victory.
In Nigeria, presidential election tribunals have become a common feature of the electoral process. However, the 2015 election stands out as an example of how concessions and acceptance of results can foster peace and stability.