The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that as of February 6, 2023, it had been joined in 1,241 intra-party lawsuits in different courts of law.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this confirmation , when he hosted a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) led by their President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, the rising number arises due to court cases challenging political parties primaries conducted for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections.
Yakubu however revealed that the cases have nothing to do with election conducted by INEC but are litigations that arose from conduct of political parties primaries in 2022.
“Some of the cases have gone to the Federal High Court, some are before the Court of Appeal, and others are before the Supreme Court. On per-election litigation alone as at Monday this week, February 6, INEC has been joined in 1241 cases making us one of the most litigated against agencies in the country.” He said
“These cases have nothing to do with elections conducted by INEC. They are primary elections conducted by political parties but each time they go to court, they join the commission and we have to engage either our own in-house lawyers or we transfer the cases out to external legal firms to represent the commission.”
Out of these 1241 cases, over 300 are right now before the Court of Appeal. And 155 before the Supreme Court as at Monday this week,” Yakubu added
