Amupitan vows to shift election victory from courts to polls

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, declared that the outcome of Nigerian elections must be determined by results from the polling units, not by the judiciary.
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Speaking at the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) conference in Abuja, Amupitan vowed to curb the rising tide of pre-election and post-election litigation.
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Professor Amupitan’s statement addresses a major and long-standing democratic challenge which includes the frequency with which electoral outcomes are decided or overturned by various courts, often overshadowing the popular vote. This phenomenon has led to what critics call the “judicialization of politics.”
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The INEC Chairman directly contrasted the previous statement made by the former INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who told aggrieved opposition parties to “go to court” due to the contentious February 2023 elections.
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Amupitan’s statement is aimed at reducing judicial interference by strengthening the electoral process itself. He placed the onus for reform not just on the electoral body, but also on political parties, stating that if political parties obey their constitutions, respect the Electoral Act, and align with the Nigerian Constitution, the avalanche of pre-election cases will collapse. He also called on the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to ensure greater transparency.
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