How long to resolve presidential election petition

Court hearings regarding petitions against the result of the 2023 presidential election commenced on Monday, May 8, 2023.

A pre-hearing session was held in Abuja where the Action Alliance (AA) withdrew its petition calling for the cancellation of the controversial February 25 election won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

There are still four separate petitions against the result of the election filed by the Action People’s Party (APP), Allied People’s Movement (APM), Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, will be sworn in as president before the conclusion of the petitions [Twitter/@BashirElRufai] Pulse Nigeria

Here’s a timeline of how long it’ll take the courts to reach a final verdict on a petition, according to Section 132 of the Electoral Act 2022.

Filing at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal

The petitioner has to file a petition within 21 days of when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the result of the election. Any petition submitted to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal outside this window is null and void.

Presidential Election Petition Tribunal judgement

The law mandates the tribunal, which is the Court of Appeal, to deliver a verdict on the petition within 180 days of when it was filed.

Appeal window against the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal

If the loser of the tribunal judgement is unhappy with the ruling, they can file an appeal before the Supreme Court within 14 days. Any appeal submitted outside this window is null and void.

Last Bus Stop: Supreme Court judgement

The Supreme Court has a maximum of 60 days to deliver a ruling after the appeal is filed. The court’s ruling is final.

The timespan allowed by law usually means that a final ruling on a presidential election petition isn’t delivered until around October or November of the election year. The president-elect is sworn in on May 29 pending the judgement.