The Partnership for Issues-Based Campaign in Nigeria (PICaN) has advocated for post-election petitions before candidates are sworn into office to avert the confusion that we are witnessing in our courts.
Speaking during a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, the National President of the group, Bako Abdu, noted that “the present situation has become more important now than ever to have post-election petitions and litigations determined before a candidate is sworn into office.”
According to him, democracy in Nigeria is under serious threat owing to some recent tribunal judgements across the country that have exposed this disturbing reality.
“Nothing short of a total overhaul of our electoral and judicial system is required to salvage it. We need to bring an end to the era of the judiciary using technicalities to subvert the popular and free will of the people.”
PICaN also noted that the recent tribunal judgement on pre-election and election matters continues to expose INEC’s failure in its constitutional duty and responsibility as a regulatory institution for political parties.
To this end, the group posited that in salvaging the electoral process, they hereby call for the full adoption of the Justice Muhammad Uwais Electoral Reform Committee report, which recommended pathways that, if implemented, will improve the entire electoral system with emphasis on strengthening the legal frameworks and enhancing the independence of the electoral body.
“Of specific concern is the need to close the gaps by amending Section 64 (4),(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) on the transmission of the data of accreditation recorded, votes, and results of the election recorded.”
They also said there is an urgent need for an amendment to mandate INEC to transmit results electronically from polling units in a timely manner that improves the credibility of the polls and the collation of results.
Citing an example from the Kano election, Abdu disclosed that “you may recall that on Wednesday, September 22, 2023, the governorship election petition tribunal in Kano State sacked Abba Yusuf, a member of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), as the Governor of the state.”
“The judgment delivered by the tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Abba Yusuf.”
“The Tribunal also affirmed Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Kano State after earlier being declared the second-runner in the March 11 gubernatorial election.”
“Let us reminisce that at the polls, the NNPP candidate Abba Yusuf had a vote of 1,019,602 to defeat his close rival of the APC, Gawuna, who got 890,705 votes.
During the proceeding, the Tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from the votes recorded for Abba Yusuf of the NNPP on the ground that ballot papers were not stamped and signed as required by law.”
“To restore the confidence of the people in democracy, state security institutions should investigate and bring the perpetrators of the fraud highlighted in the judgement—unstamped and unsigned ballot papers.”
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