‘Appeal, Supreme Courts Didn’t Affirm Tinubu’s Presidency’ Datti Baba-Ahmed Blows Hot

In a surprising twist to the post-2023 election legal battles, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate for the Labour Party, has asserted that the Supreme Court did not affirm Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election, contrary to popular belief.

Datti Baba-Ahmed made these statements during an appearance as a guest on Arise TV on Monday evening, shortly after his running mate, Peter Obi, addressed the press about the judicial proceedings following the election.

According to Datti Baba-Ahmed, the apex court did not endorse Tinubu’s victory but rather upheld what he referred to as the “illegality” declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party, had previously contested INEC’s declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the election, leading to a legal battle that culminated in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling, upheld the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), confirming Tinubu as the duly elected president.

Datti Baba-Ahmed, in his televised statement, emphasized, “Please quote me on this: the Appeal and Supreme Courts did not affirm Tinubu’s presidency. They merely upheld the illegality of INEC’s declaration. We accepted the judgment because it was the last step for HE Peter Obi and I to take; we rejected and did not accept it as a valid judgment.