The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to improving Nigeria’s electoral processed ahead of the 2027 general elections, even as it welcomed public scrutiny through election petitions.
Speaking at the presentation of the report ‘From Ballot to the Court’, an analysis of election petition litigation from the 2023 general elections, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, commended the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre over its research on electoral development.
Yakubu was represented by the Commission’s Director of Litigation and Prosecution, Tanimu Inuwa.
According to him, INEC is open to continued partnerships with civil society organisations such as PLAC and remains committed to transparency and accountability in its operations.
Reflecting on the 2023 general elections, Yakubu noted that a significant number of petitions succeeded, a development he said reflected positively on the evolving strength of Nigeria’s electoral framework.
‘There may be so many factors to that, as analyzed by the report, but it shows that election administration in Nigeria has greatly improved.
‘The Commission will do its best come 2027 to have a credible, reliable election’.
In the report on the Election Petition Tribunal, 88.9 per cent of the 895 cases analysed failed, while only 11.1 per cent were successful.
Similarly, at the Court of Appeal, 79.4 per cent of 588 election appeals failed, with only 20.9 per cent succeeding.
Yakubu argued that the trend of unsuccessful petitions raises concerns about the effectiveness of the electoral dispute resolution system in Nigeria.
The INEC boss also drew attention to the narrowing margins between winners and runners-up in many of the contests.
‘You will notice that the difference is very thin. It is not as bogus as it used to be’, he added.
The report ‘From Ballot to the Court’ was compiled by PLAC with support from the European Union and offers a detailed look at litigation arising from the 2023 elections, providing insights into the judiciary’s role in electoral outcomes.
Earlier in his remarks, PLAC Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Clement Nwankwo described the surge in post-election litigations as a worrying trend, noting that the judiciary has become ‘a very critical component of election management in Nigeria’.
Nwankwo, who highlighted several recommendations from the report, including the need for legislative reforms and better conduct by electoral bodies, also called on the judiciary to invest in capacity building, especially for judges handling election disputes.
