It’s Inappropriate To Rate 2023 Polls By Number Of Petitions – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warned on Thursday that rating the 2023 general elections based on the number of petitions filed in court 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 stated that the report reveals that the election petitions are based on INEC’s actions or inactivity, emphasising that many litigants file election petitions over the most implausible instances, only to withdraw them or have them dismissed by the tribunals.
NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION INDEPENDENT
RELEASE TO THE PUBLIC
REPORT IN THE MEDIA ON ELECTION PETITIONS AND THE CREDIBILITY OF INEC
The Commission’s attention has been called to a front-page item in The Guardian (Nigeria) newspaper on Wednesday, October 18, 2023… pic.twitter.com/UYWeWoT3ax
October 19, 2023 — INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria)
The electoral umpire stated that 712 complaints were dismissed while 179 others were withdrawn, adding that the tribunals found no merit in 891 (74.4%) petitions and upheld the results of the elections conducted by INEC.
“The aforementioned report examined the overall number of petitions as if they were submitted against the outcome of the election in 94% of all elective seats without taking into account the facts of the cases,” according to the statement.
“In a single constituency, many petitions were filed by candidates and political parties as petitioners.” As a result, the total number of constituencies/election offices will undoubtedly outnumber the entire number of election petitions filed.
“Many of the petitioners did not dispute INEC’s election administration, but rather the validity of candidates or their nomination by political parties.” INEC is not authorised by law to screen candidates. Similarly, only the courts have the authority to dismiss candidates.
“A comparison study would have addressed the report’s deliberate effort to portray the 2023 general elections as regressive due to litigation in the absence of empirical data.”
“The number of election petitions may have increased over the last three electoral cycles, but the number of overturned elections has not.”