The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has pledged to end the growing culture of excessive pre-election litigations in Nigeria.
Speaking at the 56th Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers, held at the University of Abuja on Monday, Amupitan said one of his major goals as INEC Chairman is to “end the courtroom warfare” that often begins long before Nigerians go to the polls.
The electoral chief lamented that the commission recorded over 1,000 pre-election cases before the 2023 general elections, describing the trend as unhealthy for democracy.
“That is not democracy. That is litigation by other means,” Amupitan stated.
He stressed that if political parties adhered to their own constitutions, respected the Electoral Act, and aligned with the Nigerian Constitution, most of the pre-election disputes would disappear.
“My goal is simple — to make the law an instrument of change, not chaos,” he added.
Amupitan further expressed hope for a more mature democratic culture in which electoral losers would willingly congratulate winners, saying elections must be decided at polling units, not in the courtroom.
