US-based Nigerian Professor Lists 3 Things That Should Appear in Revised Electoral Act
- Critics have alleged that Nigerian courts continue to choose leaders for the citizens in Africa's most populous nation
- Farooq Kperogi said the electoral law should still be reviewed before it can address the “indiscriminate manner” leaders are decided through the courts
- The professor stressed that if law courts continue to “choose leaders” for the people through judgements, democracy would be "murdered"
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 6-year-experience covering politics and politics in Nigeria
FCT, Abuja - A Nigerian media scholar and newspaper columnist, Farooq Kperogi, has said Nigeria must curb the excesses of the country’s alleged out-of-control judiciary “before it finally murders what remains of our democracy”.
Kperogi in his weekly column on Saturday, December 2, stated that all pre-election petitions should be contested before the conduct of elections.
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He tasked the national assembly (NASS) to amend the Electoral Act before the next general elections in 2027.
The US-based professor also called for courts to be stripped of their power to declare winners and losers of elections.
He wrote:
“The first thing that needs to be spelled out more clearly and more forcefully in a revised electoral act is that pre-election matters are not litigable after the winner of an election has been announced. All pre-election petitions should be litigated before the conduct of elections. Post-election litigations should be limited to the conduct of the elections. Since this happens once in four years, it should not be too much of a burden for the judiciary.
“The second change that needs to be enshrined in a revised electoral act is a provision that divests courts of the powers to declare winners and losers of electoral contests.
“The last suggestion I have for the revision of the electoral act is to constitutionalise the imperative to finalise the adjudication of all election petitions before the inauguration of elected officials into their offices.”
Electoral Act: 3 things that should appear
- Pre-election matters are not litigable after the winner of an election has been announced.
- A provision that divests courts of the powers to declare winners and losers of electoral contests.
- Finalise the adjudication of all election petitions before the inauguration of elected officials into their offices.
'Electoral Act might not save democracy’: Ogun
In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that Barrister Festus Ogun, a well-known constitutional lawyer, said he does not think that the Electoral Act might turn out to be the saviour of Nigeria's democracy.
Ogun stated this in a chat with Legit.ng.
Electoral Act: Trouble for INEC staff
In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) banned all staff found negligent in the general elections.
The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this while having a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja.
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Source: Legit.ng
