This ruling comes after a contentious legal battle that had raised serious questions about President Tinubu's eligibility for the highest office in the land. The heart of the matter revolved around the Guinean passport that surfaced after President Tinubu had submitted his nomination papers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his initial submission to INEC, President Tinubu solemnly declared that he had never obtained foreign citizenship. However, the subsequent discovery of his Guinean passport cast a shadow of doubt over his claim. During the court proceedings, President Tinubu did not deny the authenticity of the foreign citizenship document but argued that it should not matter because Guinea is a member nation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), just like Nigeria.
The judges, while not swayed by President Tinubu's argument, took a strict stance on the evidentiary procedure. They determined that the Guinean passport had not been properly certified as evidence before the court and, as a result, they expunged it from the evidence compilation.
This decision has raised eyebrows, as it appears to contradict an earlier statement by the court. The court had previously indicated that it would not decide the election challenge on technical grounds, leading many to believe that the substance of President Tinubu's foreign citizenship claim would be thoroughly examined.
The ruling has left the nation divided, with some lauding the court's commitment to upholding due process and adherence to legal technicalities, while others argue that it fails to address the core issue of whether a candidate who had obtained foreign citizenship should be eligible to run for the highest office in Nigeria.