NIGERIA-Abubakar To Take Pres. Election Appeal To Supreme Court

Wires reporting that Atiku Abubakar, the second-placed candidate in the February presidential election, has stated that he will not accept the presidential election court ruling and that he will appeal the judgement at the supreme court. Abubakar's comments come a day after the election tribunal ruled that President Bola Tinubu had won the election fairly after challenges from Abubakar and the other main candidate Peter Obi.

• Reuters: "European Union observers had said in June that the elections were marred by problems including operational failures and a lack of transparency that reduced public trust in the process. However, the elections stirred little sign of a groundswell of popular opposition, and Tinubu has been accepted by the international community as Nigeria's legitimate leader. Atiku and Obi can appeal to the country's Supreme Court to strike down the tribunal's ruling. Any appeal must be concluded within 60 days of the date of the tribunal judgment."
• While not having deep financial markets, Nigeria remains one of the largest economies in sub-Saharan Africa, the continent's largest oil producer (and OPEC member state), and as such any challenge to the country's political leadership - particularly in the wake of two successful coups in Niger and Gabon - could garner some attention.