Nigeria’s new electoral chairman has declared that the era of “endless court battles” over election results must end, stating that polls should be won through voting, not litigation.
Professor Joash Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who was sworn in just last week, made the remarks at the 56th annual conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers in Abuja.
He vowed to dismantle the culture of excessive pre-election lawsuits that has long plagued the country’s democracy.
“We cannot continue to allow the courts to determine our elections,” Prof. Amupitan stated. “Elections must be won at the polling units, not in the courtroom.”
The new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss pointed to the more than 1,000 pre-election cases recorded ahead of the 2023 general elections as an example of a broken system.
“That is not democracy. That is litigation by other means,” he declared.
Prof. Amupitan said his primary goal was to “end the courtroom warfare” that often begins long before any ballots are cast.
He argued that the solution lies in political parties adhering to their own constitutions and the nation’s electoral laws.
“If political parties obey their constitutions, respect the Electoral Act and align with the Nigerian constitution, the avalanche of pre-election cases will collapse,” he said.
“My goal is simple: to make the law an instrument of change, not chaos.”
Outlining his vision for a more mature democracy, Prof. Amupitan added: “My desire is that when we get the law right, even the losers will be the first to congratulate the winner.”
He also called on the National Assembly to strengthen the country’s electoral laws, insisting that credible elections depend on robust legal frameworks and parties that practice genuine internal democracy.
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