In the annals of Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, a recurring theme has been the propensity of presidential candidates to challenge election results in court, seeking to assert their claims to victory or dispute their opponents’ triumphs.
Analysis conducted by GOOD EVENING NIGERIA revealed that among these petitioners, two prominent figures stand out: Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari, both having took matter to Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on three differing occasion each.
Atiku Abubakar: The Persistent Challenger
Atiku Abubakar, a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has etched his name into Nigeria’s electoral history as one of the most persistent challengers of presidential election outcomes.
Abubakar, a one time Vice President of Nigeria, started his first major challenge in the 2007 presidential election, where he contested against the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, a candidate endorsed former president Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom Abubakar served as VP.
In 2019, he again ran for presidency and headed to Tribunal after losing to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, following a Court of Appeal ruling on September 11, 2019, Buhari’s re-election was upheld. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on October 30, 2019, that Atiku’s case was without merit.
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His recent attempt at tribunal is 2023 presidential election, which Abubakar under PDP, and Peter Obi challenge the victory of President Bola Tinubu. Atiku declared the election the worst since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 and disputed the results.
GOOD EVENING NIGERIA reports that Atiku Abubakar had ran unsuccessfully for President of Nigeria six times, in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He ran in the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries in 1993, but lost to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe.
He contested the presidential primaries of the People’s Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to former President Goodluck Jonathan.
In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari.
Muhammadu Buhari: From Challenger to President
Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s Immediate past president, has experienced the electoral process from both sides – as a challenger and as a president defending his victory.
In 2003, Buhari, then the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), contested President Olusegun Obasanjo’s re-election, alleging irregularities and corruption. Though unsuccessful, this marked the beginning of his journey as a presidential candidate committed to democratic principles.
The former head of state returned to contest the presidential election in 2007, challenging the, late President Yar’Adua.
Despite contesting an election marked by both domestic and international observations of irregularities, Buhari’s legal challenge was unsuccessful.
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In the presidential election of April 16, 2011, Buhari, the Congress for Progressive Change nominee, was unsuccessful in his attempt to overturn President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory. The Supreme Court upheld Jonathan’s win.
Buhari’s perseverance paid off in 2015 when he contested as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and defeated the former President Goodluck Jonathan.
However, Buhari felt what it means to defend one’s victory in 2019, when Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party Buhari’s victory. Following a Court of Appeal ruling on September 11, 2019, Buhari’s re-election was upheld.