INEC contending with 600 pre-election cases, says Yakubu
By Andrew Orolua
The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said on Monday that the commission is contending with 600 pre-election case in courts even before the real election next year.
Yakubu stated this in Abuja during the inauguration of 307 judges that would serve in the various panels of 2023 election petition tribunals. They were inaugurated by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
INEC boss acknowledged that similar workshops in the past years that preceded the tribunals’ inauguration led to a better appreciation of the electoral processes.
He said it also led to reduction in the spate of conflicting judgements as well as consequential reduction in the number of elections that were nullified and/or overturned after the election. For instance, 30 elections were upturned by the Tribunals in 2019 as against over 100 in a previous election.
He that so far, INEC has been joined in about 600 cases relating to the conduct of recent primaries and nomination of candidates by political parties for the 2023 General Election, DailyTimeNGR gathered.
“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”, he stated, adding that “some of the cases will go up to the Supreme Court.
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“The implication is that we are still dealing with issues of nomination of candidates thereby eating into vital rime for preparation of and procurement of sensitive materials for the materials.”
“It also means that the Courts will be dealing with the same issues long after the General Election”, he said.
Prof. Yakubu also informed that in 109 days’ time election will be held in 1,491 constituencies made up of 1 Presidential Constituency, 28 Governorship elections, 109 Senatorial Districts, 360 Federal Constituencies (House of Representatives) and 993 State Constituencies (State House of Assembly).
