Claim: A Facebook user claimed that the judge who declared President Bola Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election lost his eyesight after undergoing eye surgery in London.
Verdict: False. The image attached to the post is of Ghana’s former Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, and no judge named “Tsamma Abubakar” sat on the 2023 presidential election petition panels.
Full Text
A Facebook page, I News, shared a post on July 3, 2026, claiming that “Judge Tsamma Abubakar,” the judge who declared President Bola Tinubu winner of the 2023 presidential election, had lost his eyesight after undergoing eye surgery at a specialist hospital in London.
According to the post (archived here), the judge travelled abroad for what was described as a routine eye procedure, but complications during the surgery allegedly resulted in complete blindness.
“Breaking News: Judge Tsamma Abubakar, who declared Tinubu the winner in the 2023 presidential election, reportedly went blind in a London hospital after undergoing eye surgery,” part of the caption read.
As of July 4, 2026, the post had generated over 4,800 reactions, 4,000 comments, and 1,100 shares.
The claim also triggered reactions from users.
One user, Emmanuel Succeed Ademu, expressed his thoughts, stating, “That is the full meaning of the wicked shall not go unpunished.”
In a compassionate tone, Gloria Ntiyak Jatau remarked, “May God show her mercy.”
The post also directed readers to a report published by Igbotimes Magazine, a website previously profiled by DUBAWA for publishing misleading and unverified content, including separatist narratives and Russian disinformation.
We also found similar posts across Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Given the claim’s political sensitivity and the engagement it generated online, DUBAWA investigated it.
Verification
DUBAWA first conducted a reverse image search on the photograph attached to the viral claim.
The search revealed that the image is of Ghana’s former Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
DUBAWA also reviewed records of judges who presided over the 2023 presidential election petitions at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
At the Supreme Court, the seven-member panel that heard the presidential election appeals included Justices Inyang Okoro, Adamu Jauro, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, I.N. Saulawa, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuel Agim.
Similarly, reports by Channels Television identified the Court of Appeal panel members as Justice Haruna Tsammani, Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Justice Boloukuoromo Ugoh, and Justice Abba Mohammed.
DUBAWA found no judge identified as “Tsamma Abubakar” among any of the panels that handled the 2023 presidential election petitions, both at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Our findings indicate that the viral claim likely distorted the name of Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, who chaired the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Court.
DUBAWA also found no credible report, official statement, or judicial announcement confirming that Justice Tsammani or any member of the election petition panels lost their eyesight after surgery in London.
Conclusion
The claim that the judge who declared President Bola Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election lost his eyesight after surgery in London is false.