The Nigerian judiciary has been urged to provide sound judgements in electoral matters in order to strengthen democracy.
A lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, gave the advise on Friday at Gregory University Uturu, Abia State, while delivering the 9th Convocation lecture of the institution.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Judiciary as the final arbiter of election outcomes: Aberrations and judgements without justice’, the human rights lawyer reminded the Nigerian judiciary of its role in safeguarding democracy.
He described election tribunals in Nigeria as ‘bats’ because they cannot be classified as superior or inferior courts but posses original and appellate jurisdictions in the adjudication of election petitions.
The SAN who reminded the judiciary that the both the electorate and those they voted for always look up to it for justice through sound judgements, said that some election petition results in the country have produced shocking outcomes that jolted the public space.
He recalled the Hope Uzodinma & APC vs Emeka Ihedioha, PDP & INEC judgement of the Supreme Court, saying that the ruling of the apex court shook the nation.
He said that exploitation of procedural rules have put more burden on the judicial system even as he argued that “the quality of testimony tendered by witnesses is more important than number of witnesses in an election matter as large number of witnesses may not be enough to guarantee victory for a party in election matters”.
Ozekhome called for further amendment of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the 2022 Electoral Act to ensure that election petitions are concluded prior to inauguration of elected officials, as was done during the 1979 elections in the Second Republic.
“In order words, no winner of an election petition should be sworn in until the disposal of a petition challenging his or her election,” Ozekhome said.
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