INEC says 75% of pre-election court cases stem from political party crises, citing weak internal democracy and leadership disputes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that about 75 per cent of pre-election litigations involving the commission are caused by poor internal democracy and leadership crises within political parties.
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INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview with journalists in Awka, expressing concern over the recurring disputes that burden Nigeria’s electoral process.
“It bothers me because of the money and time wasted,” Amupitan said. “Every party going to court must join INEC. When INEC is joined, the commission must go to court, engage lawyers, and pay legal fees, which are not cheap.”
He explained that most of the cases stem from party leadership tussles and primaries conducted in violation of party constitutions.
Amupitan also criticised Nigerians for focusing solely on the conduct of elections while ignoring the lack of transparency in political parties’ candidate selection processes.
“People scrutinise INEC and the elections, but they overlook how political parties recruit candidates. That’s where most problems begin,” he noted.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that the commission was working to strengthen its monitoring capacity to ensure political parties adhere to democratic principles.
However, he lamented the existence of legal loopholes that make regulation difficult, citing the conflicting court orders currently affecting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“In fact, as we speak, one Federal High Court in Abuja says the PDP must not hold its convention, while another in Ibadan orders it to go ahead. That’s the sort of confusion we deal with,” he added.
On the issue of new political party registration, Amupitan said INEC was bound by the constitution to register any political association that meets the stipulated requirements.
“If you meet the criteria established by the Constitution and Electoral Act, after proper evaluation and monitoring, we can consider registration,” he said, referencing the Supreme Court case of Musa v. INEC which affirmed the commission’s duty to register qualified associations.
Responding to calls for a special court for election-related cases, Amupitan explained that existing election tribunals already serve that purpose.
“The election tribunals established under the Constitution are special courts,” he clarified. “They exist specifically to handle election matters up to the Court of Appeal level. Beyond that, they cease to exist.”
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He added that the ongoing constitutional amendment process may help reduce delays and technicalities in resolving election petitions.
