Appeal Court and INEC to discuss conflicting judgments on electoral disputes

Worried about conflicting judgments emanating from courts on election-related matters and the implication for the stability of democracy, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, will organise a national conference where stakeholders will meet to iron out all outstanding issues.

Titled: ‘Election Petition Tribunals and Appeals: An Overview’, the conference is aimed at finding a lasting solution to conflicting judgments emanating from the various divisions of the Court of Appeal. It is being supported by Ifex.

It was learnt that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) whose work is being allegedly stifled by these conflicting judgments would participate in the conference.

The commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, is expected to lead a high-powered delegation to the forum which would take place at the Ceremonial Court Room of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on March16 and 17.

Insiders at INEC said that the commission found frustrating the role played by the judiciary with respect to various conflicting court pronouncements on elections, especially the National Assembly election in Anambra State.

“The courts have turned out to be worse than the politicians. Except the judiciary put its house in order, it will end up being blamed for the chaos taking place in Anambra State,” a source at INEC said.

Not even the Supreme Court is blameless in the state debacle in view of its judgment that declared Ejike Oguebego-led executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the authentic executive in the state.

Critics faulted the judgment, saying that it failed to take cognizance of the orders made by a judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Evos Chukwu, which were later overturned by the Court of Appeal. Had the apex court appraised all the issues raised in the originating summons that resulted in the appeal, it would have delivered a better judgment.

As it is, the Supreme Court judgment decided nothing, and that has further compounded the problem in Anambra State as well as opened up a gateway for another round of litigation. One of such new cases is the one filed by members of the National Assembly from state at the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop INEC from withdrawing their certificates of return.

In another desperate move resulting from the ambiguity in the Supreme Court’s judgment, the Oguebego leadership had also written to INEC chairman requesting him to issue certificates of return to all the candidates, including Chief Chris Uba, whose names were forwarded to it for different political offices in the state before the last election held.