PEPT: When Yar'Adua Was Elected In 2007, Not All The Judges In The Supreme Court Agreed–Chuks Akunna
Chuks Akunna, the Executive Director of Authority paper, recently shared his perspective on why Presidential Candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) should not pursue an appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal’s judgment. In his analysis, Akunna said that the unanimous agreement among the five justices of the Court of Appeal in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory set a unique precedent, different from the 2007 election dispute involving the late Umar Musa Yar’Adua.
During an appearance on the AIT Television program “Kakaaki,” Akunna echoed the sentiments of Yahaya Bello, the incumbent Governor of Kogi State and a prominent member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who also advised against challenging the Tribunal’s decision. Akunna stressed that the Supreme Court’s judgment would be grounded in the Tribunal’s findings. It is worth noting that in 2007, during Yar’Adua’s election as President, the Supreme Court judges did not reach a unanimous decision. However, Akunna highlighted that in the recent case involving Tinubu, all five Appeal Court judges were in agreement, suggesting a well-coordinated and consistent stance.
Akunna in his comments discouraged Atiku and Obi from pursuing further legal action and reinforced the belief that the Tribunal’s verdict would likely shape the Supreme Court’s judgment. He stressed that the unanimous support from the Appeal Court judges in favor of Tinubu’s election victory made a compelling case for not challenging the Tribunal’s decision. This aligns with the advice from Yahaya Bello and suggests that pursuing further legal action might not be a ble option for Atiku and Obi.
PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO 57:41
Hear him: “Even in 2007, when Yar’Adua was elected President, the Supreme Court at the time, not all the judges agreed. But here, as if it was choreographed, the five justices of the Court of Appeal agreed.”
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