ABUJA, Nigeria: Nigeria’s main opposition candidates in this year’s presidential election appealed a ruling that upheld President Bola Tinubu’s victory and asked the nation’s Supreme Court in separate applications to declare them the winner instead, according to documents seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
In the documents filed, both the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the election, and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who finished third, said the appeals court which dismissed challenges against Tinubu’s election victory this month “erred in law” by not supporting their claims of illegality.
Three opposing candidates challenged February’s election of Tinubu who is attending this year’s United Nations General Assembly as a first-time president. Observers said though the conduct of the election was an improvement from previous ones, delays in uploading and announcing the results might have given room for ballot tampering.
In his appeal, Abubakar said Nigeria’s election commission did not follow the due process in announcing the winner and that Tinubu was not qualified to contest for president, citing allegations of dual citizenship and of a criminal indictment in the United States, all of which the Nigerian leader has denied.
His 42-page notice of appeal urged the Supreme Court to rule that declaring Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election is “unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever … having not satisfied the (legal) requirements” to win. The court should either declare him the winner or direct the election commission to conduct a fresh vote, Abubakar requested.
Obi’s 50-page application similarly accused the appeals court of “miscarriage of justice” in dismissing all his arguments against Tinubu’s victory.
The date to hear the appeals is yet to be announced.
None of Nigeria’s presidential elections since its return to democracy in 1999 has ever been nullified.
Analysts said this year’s election is different given the adoption of the newly amended electoral law that introduced the use of technology to make the process more transparent.
Nigeria’s opposition appeals election verdict, asks court to sack president
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Nigeria’s opposition appeals election verdict, asks court to sack president
- Three opposing candidates challenged February’s election of Tinubu who is attending this year’s United Nations General Assembly as a first-time president
Kyiv under ‘massive’ missile attack, Russian village evacuated after drone strike
- "A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday
- Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region
KYIV/MOSCOW: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply early Thursday as both sides launched significant aerial assaults, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas.
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, came under a “massive” attack from Russian missiles, officials said, while Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of a village in the Volgograd region following a drone strike on a military facility.
"A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday. He reported hits on both residential and non-residential buildings on both sides of the Dnipro River, which bisects the city.
According to preliminary reports, falling fragments struck near two residential buildings in one district. While no fires broke out and no immediate casualties were reported, emergency medical teams were dispatched to the affected areas.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, confirmed at least one hit in an eastern suburb, as witnesses reported explosions resounding across the city.
The southeastern city of Dnipro was also targeted. Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha stated that while some private homes and cars sustained damage, there were no indications of casualties. Air raid alerts remained in effect in both Kyiv and Dnipro well after midnight.
Drone Strike in Russia
Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region.
"Falling debris caused a fire on the grounds of a Ministry of Defense facility near the village of Kotluban," Governor Andrey Bocharov posted on Telegram.
Authorities declared an immediate evacuation of the nearby village "to ensure civilian safety from the threat of detonation during firefighting," Bocharov added.
The exchange of strikes follows a deadly day in eastern Ukraine. On Wednesday, a Russian strike on the city of Bogodukhiv in the Kharkiv region killed four people, including three young children.
Regional military head Oleg Synegubov reported that two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl were killed, along with a 34-year-old man. A 74-year-old woman and a 35-year-old pregnant woman were also wounded in the attack. The Kharkiv region has seen intensified Russian attacks on transport and energy infrastructure in recent weeks.
The ongoing violence stands in stark contrast to diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian and Russian officials have been holding US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the four-year invasion. While the two sides successfully conducted a prisoner swap last week, a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict remains elusive.
The human toll continues to mount. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), approximately 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022. The agency noted that 2025 was the deadliest year of the conflict so far, with more than 2,500 civilians killed.
