Professor Mahmood Yakubu; chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that there are over 600 cases against the commission in regard to party primaries and nomination of candidates by political parties for the fast-approaching general elections.
The electoral chair made this known at the inauguration of members of Election Petition Tribunals, yesterday, in Abuja.
Yakubu commended the judiciary over the palpable reduction in the number of conflicting judgments and the number of elections that had been nullified in recent times.
His words: “Only two weeks ago, one political party served about 70 court processes on the commission in one day, seeking to compel us to accept the nomination or substitution of its candidates long after the deadline provided in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election had elapsed. Some of the cases will go up to the Supreme Court.
“The implication is that we are still dealing with issues of nomination of candidates, thereby eating into vital time for preparation of and procurement of sensitive materials for the election.
”It also means that the courts will be dealing with the same issues long after the general election.
“I wish to reassure the judiciary that the commission will continue to abide by court orders. However, strict adherence to such decision is critical for us as an election management body.
“A situation where a trial court sought to vary the judgment of the Supreme Court by ordering the commission to issue a Certificate of Return in favour of a candidate whose emergence during the party’s primary election has been nullified by the apex court (and affirmed by the same court, following an application for clarification) put the commission in a difficult situation”.
He added that the electoral body had studied various judgments on election matters and identified areas that would require improvement to reduce litigations.
“The job of the politician is intensely partisan. Our work (the judiciary and INEC) requires absolute neutrality. We will not disappoint Nigerians,” the INEC chairman added.
