Supreme Court to explain why Atiku’s appeal was dismissed on Friday

CJN, Tanko Muhammad 

The Supreme Court has fixed Friday November 15 to explain to Nigerians and the international community its reasons for the dismissal of appeal by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar challenging the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the February 23, presidential election.

It would be recalled that the apex court had in a unanimous summary judgment delivered on October 30, dismissed the appeal filed by Atiku and the People’s Democratic Party Party



Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad while delivering the summary judgment had announced that the court would later offer its reasons to the general public on why it dismissed the appeal the way it did.

Atiku and PDP had in their joint appeal filed in September, challenged the entire judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which had affirmed the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.




The final court in the land dismissed the appeal in less than one hour it was heard by its 7-member panel of Justices.

It affirmed, “Having gone through the briefs for over two weeks we have come to the conclusion that this appeal lacks merit. This appeal is hereby dismissed. Reason will be given at a date to be communicated to parties”, the CJN who presided over the appeal had held.

However, nearly two weeks after the judgment, the apex court on Wednesday notified lawyers to parties in the appeal that it has fixed Friday November 15, to make known its reasons for dismissing the appeal.



The notice to lawyers in the matter, a soft copy sighted by DAILY POST dated November 13, was signed by Ibrahim Gold, a Registrar at the Supreme Court.

It reads, “IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA HOLDEN AT ABUJA. SC 1211/2019: Atiku Abubakar & anor V. INEC & 2 Ors.

“TAKE NOTICE that the REASONS FOR THE JUDGEMENT delivered on Wednesday the 30th day of October 2019 in the above named Appeal will be listed before the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday the 15th day of November, 2019 at 9.00am.


“AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with the Supreme Court Rules, this Notice is deemed sufficiently served on you if it is delivered on your telephone”.

The expected reasons to be offered will likely put to rest various speculations by lawyers and insinuations by politicians about the action of the apex court or even raise fresh ones.