By Hassan I. Conteh

Africa news

February 25 will take Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s president one year, on once a hot seat of power but now seemingly a comfortable one for the 71-year-old experienced politician.

Both Tinubu and Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone seem now to be sitting or reclining on safe sofa seats of power as they govern their people after they were controversially elected.

The international community UK, USA, and elections observers both local and global such as the European Union, the Carter Centre, and NEW (National Election Watch, in Sierra Leone’s case ) had ruled out the possibility of both presidential candidates to be genuine winners of the post- general elections in their respective countries.

The oppositions, for example, in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and population, took to the Supreme Court to challenge 2023’s February 25 elections results which favoured Tinubu as a victor.

But the election theft case against the now sitting president was thrown out by the country’s superior court of judicature.

Despite America frowned at the elections’ results including other international observers touting it as highly fraudulent but Nigeria Supreme Court upheld the electoral commission’s verdict later after some unexplainable delays.

What more is left as President Tinubu and Mr. Bio’s administrations are going unhindered by the African people and western powerful leaders?

Mr. Bio in Sierra Leone will be taking one year in State House by June 27, the date he was duly, but controversially elected by the country’s electoral chair, Mohamed Konneh.

Currently, in Sierra Leone,  a tripartite electoral committee comprising external and internal members is investigating concerns of June 24, 2023 elections fraud allegations.

ut by the look of things, it appears that president Bio like Tinubu will continue to enjoy an easy ride and comfort on the swivel seats of power.

One newspaper regular buyer at Adelaide Street in Freetown shares his view on the ongoing tripartite electoral review process.

“The African Union, ECOWAS, EU peace mediators and world leaders have simply told us in October last year that they would not interfere in our country’s politics,” said Mr. Abu Turay.  The same could be said of Nigeria.