Top 5 Election Petition Cases In Nigeria

Rotimi Amaechi vs. INEC

This case saw The Election Tribunal strike out Celestine Omehia as the candidate of the People Democratic Party and consequently the Winner of the Gubernatorial Election of Rivers State.

Rotimi Amaechi had earlier won the nomination of the People Democratic Party, P.D.P. for the governorship in Rivers State in
2007.

However he was removed by INEC as the Flagbearer for PDP and replaced by Celestine Omehia, who eventually won the general elections.

Upon Amaechi's petition, the Election Tribunal set aside the electoral body's decision and installed Amaechi as the rightful winner of the election

Comrade Adams Oshiomole vs INEC

The petition was dated 11th May 2007 and filed on the 14th May 2007 and presented by the 1st and 2nd petitioners; Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and Action Congress (AC) challenging the return as elected Governor of Edo State of Nigeria, the 3rd and 4th respondents, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the 1st, 2nd, 5th to 22nd respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Election Petitions Tribunal declared Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole as the duly elected governor of the state

The Tribunal annulled the election of Chief Oseirheimen Osunbor as it was ruled to be fraudulent and ill-obtained and as the Latin maxim provides, Ex Turpi Causa Non Oritor Actio.

Olusegun Mimiko vs INEC

The Ondo State Elections Petitions Tribunal, nullified the election of Governor Olusegun Agagu of Ondo State,and declared Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the 14 April, 2007 election, winner of the election.

The five-man tribunal led by Garba Nabaruma, also ordered that Mimiko should be sworn in immediately as the governor of the state because he won the valid votes in 12 out of the 18 local governments in the state.

This decision, similar to Oshiomole's, was contingent on the proven facts that the election was improperly won and obtained through illegal means.
Agagu had seemingly obtained victory through invalid votes.

Peter Obi vs. INEC

The underlying issue here was not about the declarations made on the Peter Obi tenure case by the Supreme Court. The poignant question is whether the apex court had the jurisdiction to determine the vacancy of the governorship seat in Anambra State bearing in mind its powers and responsibilities as defined by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Supreme Court had earlier set aside the election of Andy Uba in the 2007 Gubernatorial election in Anambra State in favour of Peter Obi's petition to extend his tenure as it was unlawfully "intruded" when he was erroneously impeached.

 Muhammadu Buhari vs. INEC

Unlike the other four above, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition by former Head of State, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari, challenging the victory of President Olusegun Obasanjo in the presidential election of April 19, 2003.

The Apex Court dismissed the petitioner's claims of "massive" rigging, election irregularities and mismanagement of votes by the Independent National Electoral Commission

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