INEC: It’s Inappropriate to Assess Our Credibility on Number of Cases Filed by Litigants

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is inappropriate to solely assess the credibility of the commission or the conduct of the 2023 general election on the number of petitions filed by litigants. 

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman,

Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, stated this in a statement issued Thursday while responding to a report in a national daily titled ‘INEC’s credibility sinks as 94% contested posts awaits tribunal’.

He said the commission would have ignored the report if it did not emanate from one of the country’s flagship newspapers, which has over the years established a reputation for the quality of its stories, incisive analysis, factual accuracy, balance and lately the innovative use of infographics.

Olumekun noted that the commission having wished to restate its continuing partnership with the media, it was prudent to state that the pen should be used to strengthen rather than impugn the integrity of public institutions particularly where basic statistics demand that the media should be circumspect.

He further explained that the report under reference contained inaccurate figures, mix up of pre-election and post-election cases, skewed comparative perspective and a headline that suggests that election petitions draw from the action or inaction of INEC.

The national commissioner stressed that a basic fact check on the information regularly published by the commission and available on its website would have shown that in 2023, elections were not conducted in 1,280 constituencies, including 782 state Assembly seats. 

Olumekun added that on the contrary, elections were conducted in 1,491 constituencies across the country made up of one presidential, 28 governorship, 109 senatorial, 360 House of Representatives and 993 state Assembly constituencies.

He noted that the claim that state Assembly elections were held in only 28 states of the country was made on the lazy assumption that no such elections were held in the eight states of the federation where executive elections are held off-cycle.

The national commissioner stressed that every attentive Nigerian knows that the tenure of legislators is tied to the legislative houses, which is a fixed term of four years from the date the Assembly is inaugurated, unlike the term of office of the executive which begins from the date they take the oath of office.

He wondered why the report blamed the pre-election cases arising from the conduct of primary elections by political parties on INEC. 

Olumekun said these are intra-party cases involving party members in which they join the commission and seek for reliefs binding on it, adding that everyone knows INEC does not conduct primaries for political parties.

He emphaised that in pursuit of their right under the law, many litigants in Nigeria unfortunately file election petitions over the most improbable cases and later withdraw them or they are dismissed by the tribunals. 

According to him, if the report had taken time to analyse the outcome of the cases decided so far by the tribunals, it would have discovered that out of 1,196 petitions, 712 were dismissed and 179 withdrawn.

He said this means that in 891 cases (74.4%), the tribunals found no merit in the petitions and affirmed the result of the elections conducted by INEC. 

The commission said It was surprising how the mere filing of petitions constitute a blot on the integrity of the recent elections conducted by INEC when in fact they constitute an integral part of the democratic process.

Olumekun decried that the report analysed the total number of petitions as if they were filed against the outcome of the election in 94% of all the elective positions without considering details of the cases. 

He noted that multiple petitions were filed by candidates and political parties as petitioners in a single vonstituency.

Olumekun said: “For example, in one state in the South-south geopolitical zone of the country, eight petitions were filed challenging the governorship election out of which seven were dismissed and one withdrawn. 

“Therefore, the number of election petitions filed in respect of all elective offices will certainly outnumber the total number of constituencies/elective offices. To spread them across the constituencies and proceed to calculate the percentage is to count some constituencies several times which is methodologically problematic and statistically illogical.

“It is pertinent to note that the grounds for challenging the outcome of an election as provided in Section 134 of the Electoral Act, 2022 are not limited to the conduct of election by the Commission. 

“An election may be questioned on the ground that the winner of the election was not qualified to contest the election by virtue of his academic qualifications, age etc.”

Olumekun pointed out that many of the petitioners did not challenge the conduct of the elections by INEC but the eligibility of candidates or their nomination by political parties. 

He said under the law, INEC has no power to screen candidates, stressing that only the courts can disqualify candidates.

Olumekun added: “A comparative analysis would have addressed the deliberate effort in the report to portray the 2023 general election as regressive on account of litigation without empirical evidence. 

“Over the last three electoral cycles, the number of election petitions may be rising but not the number of upturned elections. In 2015, 663 cases were filed at the tribunals, 87 (13.1%) were nullified and the commission ordered to conduct re-run in some polling units or entire constituencies. 

“In 2019, 807 petitions were filed but elections were only re-run in 30 (3.71%) constituencies (3 Senatorial Districts, 13 Federal Constituencies and 14 State Constituencies). 

“While the 2023 post-election litigations are ongoing, all five petitions filed in respect of the presidential election were dismissed while three are pending on appeal.

“As of Monday, 16th October 2023, out of 82 governorship election petitions, 72 (87.8%) were either dismissed or withdrawn by the petitioners. For senatorial elections, 146 petitions were filed out of which 100 (68.5%) were dismissed or withdrawn. 

“For the House of Representatives, 413 petitions were filed, out of which 309 (74.81%) were dismissed or withdrawn while for state Houses of Assembly, 550 petitions were filed out of which 468 (82.4%) were dismissed or withdrawn.”

The commission wishes to restate that it is inappropriate to solely assess the credibility of INEC or the conduct of the 2023 general election on the number of petitions filed by litigants who, in any case, have the right to do so under the law.