INEC Chairman Amupitan vows to uphold electoral Justice, reduce Court cases

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has pledged to uphold “electoral justice” in Nigeria as part of efforts to curb the high number of post-election court cases.

Speaking to newsmen in Awka, Amupitan acknowledged that candidates and political parties have the right to seek legal redress but noted that his goal is to ensure elections are so credible that contestants would have no reason to challenge the outcome.

“One of the things I want to introduce in this country is electoral justice, so that if you lose, you know you have lost,” he said. “When you feel cheated or short-changed by INEC or by undue advantage through security agents or whatever it is, you may decide to go to court. But if you know within yourself that justice has been served, some people will begin to accept the outcome.”

The INEC boss explained that while no one can be stopped from going to court, a truly fair process would make such actions unnecessary. He emphasized that the aim is to conduct elections that will not be faulted, even by tribunals.

“While there is no perfect election, a near-perfect one will help reduce litigation,” Amupitan said, adding that strict compliance with the Constitution, Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines would leave judges with no discretion to overturn results.

He recalled instances where petitions were withdrawn after INEC’s responses showed that the process was credible. “When we read the petition, we said whoever filed this petition must withdraw it. By the time they saw the reply, they had no choice but to withdraw,” he said.

Amupitan lamented the high cost of election litigations, noting that many are frivolous. He disclosed that INEC is working on amendments to the Electoral Act to penalize those who file baseless cases. “If you go to court on a frivolous matter, then you pay penalties and refund whatever cost INEC has paid,” he said.

He also promised to strengthen the commission’s operational structure, promote inclusivity for Persons with Disabilities, and improve logistics management. “Most of the things taken for granted, we said, no, we will not take them for granted anymore. One of them is transport logistics. We’ve gone further to request the names of drivers, their phone numbers, and to inspect vehicles and meet with unions,” he added.