INEC battles 600 court cases over candidates’ nomination

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Monday in Abuja lamented that the commission is currently facing 600 court cases that arose over the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections.

Yakubu revealed the situation became worrisome when a political party served 70 court summons on the electoral body in one day on the same issue.

He said that most of the cases seeking an order of court to compel INEC to accept their nominations were instituted after the closure of time allowed by law for nominations.

The INEC Chief spoke at a Capability Building organized by the Court of Appeal for Election Petition Tribunal members billed to adjudicate on election disputes for next year’s general elections.

Despite the enormity of the court cases, Yakubu assured that the electoral body would obey and abide by all valid court orders at all times.

He, however, cautioned high courts to resist the temptation of attempts to review final judgments of the Supreme Court on election disputes.

From experience, he said that INEC has found that most politicians and political parties are litigation-happy, dragging the electoral body on frivolous and vexatious issues.

Yakubu said that the 2023 general elections would bring better experience into Nigeria’s political space, being the first to be conducted
after the repeal of the 2010 Electoral Act and the first since the advent of the 2022 new Electoral Act that gives legal backing to the use of technology in the conduct of elections in the country.

He assured that the planned 2023 general elections would be free and fair.

He appealed to the Judiciary to be absolutely neutral along with INEC.