CSOs Warn Against Using Court For Electoral Contest

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of Organisations For Community Civic Engagement have warned politicians against filing unsubstantiated election petitions to turn courtrooms as new grounds for electoral contests.

They described the practice as a serious threat to the future of Nigeria and its democracy.

The CSOs gave the warning yesterday in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital in a press statement issued by its executive director, Abdulrazaq Alkali.

Alkali said the new tactics adopted by desperate Nigerian politicians in manipulating the legal process to get power is taking a new toll in the Nigerian political arena.

He said the CSOs are concerned about the attitude of some of the judges, especially on the strange and contradictory verdicts from the election tribunals as well as the unprofessional behaviours and comments of the judges.

He said, “Judicialisation of Nigeria’s electoral system has grievous consequences because it will make people to lose confidence in the democratic system with the believe that their votes doesn’t decide election outcomes but rather every election is decided by the judiciary.”

He noted that the aftermath of the 2023 general election just like the previous one left so much legal disputes in which about every contested position in the country including hundreds of state and National Assembly seats, governorship and presidential elections were contested at the tribunal and appeal court with many of the cases lacking in merit.

He said that they are not discouraging parties or candidates with genuine grievances from seeking redress, but noted that there is need to call for strengthening of prosecution laws with stringent punishments for people who are involved in dubious acts to truncate or invalidate the votes of their opponents.

“It is on record that 552 election petitions were filed by the aggrieved candidates who participated in the National Assembly elections alone and these ongoing election disputes in our tribunals and appeal courts is eroding the confidence and believe Nigerians have on democratic process, this is very alarming,” Alkali declared.