FACT-CHECK: Did Judge Who Upheld Tinubu’s 2023 Victory Go Blind?

A story claiming that the judge who led the panel affirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election has gone blind after eye surgery in London has gone viral on X and other social media platforms since around July 3, 2026.

CLAIM

The viral posts claim that “Justice Tsamma Abubakar”, described as the judge who declared President Bola Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election, lost his eyesight following complications from routine eye surgery at a London hospital.

An X user, @naholegend, first shared the claim on Friday evening. Another user, @Uno_009, who has 8,500 followers, later reshared it, after which several other accounts amplified the post.

The post read:

“Breaking: Judge Tsamma Abubakar, who declared Tinubu the winner in the 2023 presidential election, reportedly goes blind in a London hospital after undergoing eye surgery.

“According to reports, the judge was admitted to a specialist hospital in London for what was described as a routine eye procedure.

“However, doctors allegedly encountered unexpected complications during the operation, resulting in the complete loss of his eyesight.”

As of Monday, the post had generated more than 1 million views, over 10,000 likes and more than 2,000 reposts.

The claim was also published by the blog, Igbo Times Magazine.

Breaking News: Judge Tsamma Abubakar, who declared Tinubu winner in the 2023 presidential election, reportedly goes blind in a London hospital after undergoing eye surgery.

Some versions of the story instead identify the judge as Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the current Chief Justice of Nigeria.

FINDINGS

THE WHISTLER found the claim to be false on multiple counts.

There is no record of any Justice Tsamma Abubakar, or anyone with a similar name, serving on Nigeria’s Court of Appeal or Supreme Court.

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun became Chief Justice in August 2024.

President Tinubu Swears in Justice Kekere-Ekun as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria

She did not chair the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and has made no public statement about undergoing eye surgery or losing her sight.

The chairman of the five-member Presidential Election Petition Tribunal was Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani. He is male, contrary to the image of a female judge circulating with the claim.

He was assisted by Justices Stephen Adah, Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo and Abba Mohammed. Justice Tsammani was elevated to the Supreme Court in December 2023.

The image accompanying the false claim is that of former Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Gertrude Arabia Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, who served from 2023 to 2025.

There are no verified reports from the judiciary, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court or credible Nigerian media supporting claims that Justice Tsammani or any member of the tribunal panel has gone blind.

Attempts to reach the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Supreme Court, Mr Festus Akande, were unsuccessful.

This is the second known fabricated health rumour targeting Justice Tsammani. In October 2023, another false claim alleged that he was critically ill and wheelchair-bound, an allegation court officials dismissed at the time.

Another false claim also circulated on Facebook, alleging that the home of the chairman of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal was attacked after the ruling in favour of Tinubu. The post has since been deleted.

VERDICT

FALSE: The viral “blind judge” story is fabricated. It misidentifies the judge, uses the photograph of a former Ghanaian chief justice and is unsupported by any credible evidence. It should not be treated as genuine news.