The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warned on Thursday that rating the 2023 general elections based on the number of petitions filed in courts is incorrect.
In a statement, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said the electoral body has been drawn to a study headed, ‘INEC’s confidence collapses as 94% of contested seats await tribunals.’
He said the report suggests that the election petitions draw from the action or inaction of INEC, stressing that many litigants unfortunately file election petitions over the most improbable cases, and later withdraw them, or they are dismissed by the tribunals.
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
PRESS RELEASE
MEDIA REPORT ON ELECTION PETITIONS AND THE CREDIBILITY OF INEC
The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a front page report by The Guardian (Nigeria) newspaper in its edition of Wednesday 18th October 2023… pic.twitter.com/UYWeWoT3ax
— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) October 19, 2023
Of the 1,196 petitions filed, the electoral umpire said 712 were dismissed while 179 others were withdrawn, adding that the tribunals found no merit in 891 (74.4%) petitions and affirmed the result of the elections conducted by INEC.
“The said report analysed the total number of petitions as if they were filed against the outcome of the election in 94% of all the elective positions without considering details of the cases,” the statement read.
“Multiple petitions were filed by candidates and political parties as petitioners in a single constituency. Therefore, the number of election petitions filed in respect of all elective offices will certainly outnumber the total number of constituencies/election offices.
“Many of the petitioners did not challenge the conduct of the elections by INEC but the eligibility of candidates or their nomination by political parties. Under the law, INEC has no power to screen candidates. Similarly, only the courts can disqualify candidates.
“A comparative analysis would have addressed the deliberate effort in the report to portray the 2023 general elections as regressive on account of litigation without empirical evidence.
“Over the last three electoral cycles, the number of election petitions may be rising but not the number of upturned elections.”