The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it was faced with more than 1,000 pre-election litigations in the build-up to the 2023 general election.
INEC Director, Legal Drafting and Clearance, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said this in a presentation at a two-day capacity workshop for journalists in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
She said that most of the cases were borne out of a lack of internal party democracy, where political parties failed to adhere to their constitutions and guidelines. “Beyond the impact of pre-election matters on preparation for election, the commission is sometimes ordered to withdraw certificate of return issued to a candidate who emerged winner and issue fresh certificate of return to a judgment creditor.Babalola added that INEC had to withdraw seven Certificates of Return earlier issued and reissue the same pursuant to court orders in the 2023 general election.
She said that INEC had been served with orders from the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordering the commission to replace the NNPP governorship candidate and the APGA deputy governorship candidate for Kogi. “The Commission has complied with the judgments in respect of Kogi State via the publication of Amendment No. 1 to the final list of candidates, which was published on the Commission’s website on Sept. 26.Babalola added, “It is worthy of note that the Commission is bound to comply with the decisions of courts as stipulated in Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 .