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Fact Check: Viral Claim That Judge Who Upheld Tinubu’s 2023 Election Victory Went Blind After London Surgery Is False
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Fact Check: Viral Claim That Judge Who Upheld Tinubu’s 2023 Election Victory Went Blind After London Surgery Is False
A viral social media claim alleging that the judge who presided over the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election has gone blind following an eye surgery in London has been debunked as false.
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The claim, which began circulating widely across X and other social media platforms in early July, has appeared in different versions. One version falsely identifies the affected judge as “Justice Tsamma Abubakar,” while another misleading graphic attributes the story to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
However, available records show that neither claim has any factual basis.
Investigations reveal that there is no judicial officer known as Justice Tsamma Abubakar serving either at the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Likewise, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who assumed office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria in August 2024, did not preside over the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that ruled on the 2023 presidential election and has made no public statement indicating any health challenge.
The five-member Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that dismissed petitions challenging President Tinubu’s election in September 2023 was chaired by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani of the Court of Appeal. Other members of the panel were Justices Stephen Adah, Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo and Abba Mohammed.
Justice Tsammani was subsequently elevated to the Supreme Court in December 2023.
No official statement from the Nigerian judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal or any credible mainstream media organisation has reported that Justice Tsammani or any member of the tribunal has suffered blindness or any medical condition related to the viral claim.
The latest misinformation also mirrors an earlier false report circulated in October 2023, shortly after the tribunal delivered its judgment. At the time, rumours claimed Justice Tsammani had become critically ill and was confined to a wheelchair. Those allegations were categorically dismissed by officials of the Court of Appeal, who confirmed that the justice remained healthy, actively attending court proceedings and carrying out his official responsibilities.
Further scrutiny of the latest viral posts reveals several indicators commonly associated with fabricated online content. The graphics feature sensational headlines, a fabricated “What We Know” information box, and a statement attributed to a supposed “Spokesperson, Federal Judicial Service”, an office that does not exist within Nigeria’s judicial system.
Additionally, some of the social media accounts responsible for amplifying the claim, including accounts previously identified as parody pages, have presented the content as satire or commentary. Despite this, the false narrative has continued to spread online as though it were verified news.
The available evidence therefore confirms that the claim alleging the judge who upheld President Tinubu’s 2023 election victory went blind after undergoing eye surgery in London is entirely false and unsupported by any credible source.