AGF, CJN Warn 2027 Election Tribunal Judges Against Political Influence

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, have urged judicial officers chosen for the 2027 Election Petition Tribunals to stay impartial and resist political strain, intimidation and inducement whereas adjudicating election-related disputes.

The warning was delivered on Monday in the course of the opening of a three-day induction workshop for judges, justices of the Court of Appeal and tribunal members in Abuja.

Fagbemi cautioned that flawed or compromised rulings might erode public confidence within the judiciary and have long-term penalties for Nigeria’s democracy. He pressured that judges should uphold justice no matter public opinion, political pursuits or strain from influential people and teams.

According to the Attorney-General, the Electoral Act 2026 launched vital reforms that can form the decision of disputes arising from the 2027 normal elections. He famous that some provisions of the legislation, significantly these regarding political get together affairs and sanctions for prohibited intra-party litigation, would require cautious interpretation and enforcement by the courts.

Fagbemi additionally advocated the institution of a number of tribunal panels in states anticipated to report excessive volumes of election petitions. He mentioned the measure would assist guarantee instances are concluded inside constitutional timelines whereas sustaining the standard of judicial choices.

In her keynote handle, Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun reminded authorized practitioners that election petitions have to be decided strictly on the premise of proof, pleadings and relevant legal guidelines, not political sentiments or public opinion.

She criticised the follow of submitting a number of fits on comparable points, looking for conflicting court docket orders and utilizing authorized processes for political benefit. The CJN warned attorneys in opposition to turning courtrooms into extensions of political contests.

The Chief Justice additionally cautioned politicians, their supporters, public workplace holders and social media customers in opposition to making an attempt to affect ongoing instances via intimidation, misinformation or public campaigns focused at judicial officers.

She famous that the unfold of unverified allegations and deceptive accounts of court docket proceedings might distort public understanding of authorized processes and create the impression that instances are determined by standard sentiment fairly than info and the legislation.

Kekere-Ekun emphasised that whereas judicial choices could also be criticised, efforts to intimidate judges or prejudice pending instances undermine the rule of legislation and must be discouraged.

She additional reminded tribunal members to adjust to constitutional timelines for election petitions whereas guaranteeing all events obtain a good listening to.

Speaking on the occasion, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) highlighted the essential function of election tribunals in preserving democratic stability in Nigeria and throughout Africa. He mentioned many nations on the continent look to Nigeria as a mannequin, making the credibility of its electoral course of significantly essential.

Amupitan additionally raised considerations in regards to the rising use of synthetic intelligence applied sciences, together with deepfake movies, cloned voices and manipulated audio recordings, warning that such instruments may very well be used to mislead voters and complicate election dispute decision.

He urged tribunal members to use strict evidentiary requirements when assessing digital proof and emphasised the significance of verifying digital authenticity and knowledge provenance.

The INEC chairman recognized disputes involving digital transmission of outcomes, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing Portal, get together primaries and candidate nominations as possible flashpoints in the course of the 2027 election litigation course of.

Earlier, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, disclosed that 375 judicial officers had been nominated to serve on election petition tribunals nationwide. Of the quantity, 138 have earlier tribunal expertise, whereas 237 are serving for the primary time.

She described the appointments as a name to nationwide service and urged tribunal members to keep away from political affect, private pursuits and pointless adjournments that might delay justice.

Dongban-Mensem additionally introduced new technological reforms, together with a centralised Case Management System and an digital submitting platform, geared toward enhancing transparency, effectivity and well timed dealing with of election-related instances.

The workshop, themed “Election Tribunal as a Tool for Political Stability,” was organised to organize judicial officers for the adjudication of disputes arising from Nigeria’s 2027 normal elections.

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