Nigeria's Supreme Court will commence hearings Monday on legal appeals seeking to overturn the victory of President Bola Tinubu. Separate appeals were filed by opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi after losing February's presidential election.
The court will consider arguments from Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party, Obi of the Labour Party, and the Allied Peoples Movement. All are attempting to nullify the election result upheld by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Atiku has challenged Tinubu's academic credentials and wants to submit records from Chicago State University allegedly showing Tinubu submitted a forged certificate. Obi has also questioned the election outcome.
Tinubu argues the CSU records are irrelevant to the proceedings and should not be admitted by the court. His legal team asserts Atiku has a pattern of filing petitions before gathering evidence.
The Supreme Court's willingness to allow new evidence will be pivotal. Some legal experts say it's legally permissible but the impact remains uncertain.
Both opposition candidates face the difficult task of conclusively proving misconduct that would warrant nullifying the election. They must overcome the tribunal's rejection of their petitions.
Tinubu remains favored to prevail based on the high legal bar for overturning a presidential election. But the appeals nonetheless fuel uncertainty and concerns about his legitimacy as Nigeria's leader.
The Supreme Court hearings represent the final legal chance for Tinubu's challengers. However, the appeals also risk perpetuating divisions following the tightly contested vote. The stakes are high for both Nigeria's judiciary and political climate.