FACT-CHECK: Viral Claim That ‘Judge Tsamma Abubakar,’ Who Declared Bola Tinubu Winner in 2023 Presidential Election, Went Blind in London Is False

By: Peter Emmanuel

Claim

A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) claims that a judge identified as “Tsamma Abubakar,” who reportedly declared Bola Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election, went blind in a London hospital following complications from an eye surgery. The post is accompanied by the photograph of a female Nigerian judge dressed in ceremonial robes.

The claim was shared by X influencer Mayor of Calabar on July 3, 2026, and had garnered over 437,000 views, 1,400 comments, 1,525 reposts, 5,564 likes, and 393 bookmarks as of the time this report was filed.

Verdict

FALSE

Verification

DNN Check analysed the claim and found it to be false.

To verify the claim, DNN Check reviewed the composition of both the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) and the Supreme Court panel that determined the 2023 presidential election disputes.

The PEPC comprised Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, Justice Misitura Omodere Bolaji-Yusuf, Justice Moses Aikawa Ugo, and Justice Abba Bello Mohammed. The Supreme Court panel comprised Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, and Justice Adamu Jauro.

None of the judges on either panel bears the name “Tsamma Abubakar.”

Official judicial records further show that the Presidential Election Petition Court, chaired by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, unanimously upheld Bola Tinubu’s election on September 6, 2023, while the Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the appeals challenging the election on October 26, 2023, affirming the lower court’s judgment.

Further checks found no report from the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the National Judicial Council (NJC), or any credible Nigerian or international media organisation indicating that any judge involved in the 2023 presidential election cases had gone blind or undergone eye surgery in London.

Fact-Checking the Details

The claim falsely identifies “Judge Tsamma Abubakar” as the judicial officer who declared Bola Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

However, findings show that no judge by that name exists in Nigeria’s judiciary. The name appears to be a fabrication, possibly derived from Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, who chaired the Presidential Election Petition Court, and Justice Tijjani Abubakar, a member of the Supreme Court panel that heard the appeals.

Neither of the two judges bears the name “Tsamma Abubakar,” and no judicial officer with that identity participated in the presidential election litigation.

Image Verification

A reverse image search conducted by DNN Check shows that the photograph attached to the viral claim does not depict Justice Tsammani, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, or any judge named “Tsamma Abubakar.”

Instead, the image is that of Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa (Rtd.), the former President of the Court of Appeal and the first woman to hold the office.

Justice Bulkachuwa retired from active judicial service in March 2020, nearly three years before the 2023 presidential election and the subsequent election petitions. Consequently, she played no role in either the Presidential Election Petition Court or the Supreme Court proceedings arising from the election.

The image was therefore taken out of context and falsely used to support a fabricated claim.

No Credible Evidence

DNN Check found no reports from the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the National Judicial Council, or any reputable Nigerian or international news organisation indicating that Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, or any other judge associated with the 2023 presidential election petitions had gone blind or was hospitalised in London following an eye surgery.

Given the public profile of senior judicial officers in Nigeria, such a development would have attracted widespread coverage from credible media organisations. No such report exists.

Conclusion

The viral post is a clear case of political misinformation. It fabricates the identity of a non-existent judge named “Tsamma Abubakar,” falsely attributes the 2023 presidential election judgment to that fictional individual, misuses the photograph of retired Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, and invents a story about blindness following an eye surgery in London.

Notably, a review of both the Presidential Election Petition Court and the Supreme Court panels that determined the 2023 presidential election disputes confirms that no judge named “Tsamma Abubakar” served on either panel.

Verdict: False. The claim has no factual basis. There is no judge named “Tsamma Abubakar” in the Nigerian judiciary, the photograph used in the post is that of retired Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, and there is no credible evidence that any judge connected with the 2023 presidential election cases went blind in London.

This fact-check was produced with support from FactCheck Africa in collaboration with FIAP.

#CheckBeforeYouPost #TruthAtTheBallot #EPSGProject #InformationIntegrity

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