The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reported a staggering 1,000 pre-election litigations leading up to the 2023 general election.
Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Director of Legal Drafting and Clearance at INEC, revealed this information during a two-day capacity workshop for journalists in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
The litigations stemmed from political party primaries, candidate substitutions, and failures to adhere to election schedules and party constitutions.*
INEC has had to withdraw certificates of return and reissue them following court orders, which further complicated logistics and wasted resources.
In light of this, Babalola recommended political parties adhere to internal democracy principles, follow election timelines, propose constitutional amendments, and collaborate with the judiciary to reduce the impact of pre-election cases on the electoral process.
