Elections must be won at polling units, not courtrooms – Amupitan, INEC chair

The newly-appointed Chairman of the Independent NationalElectoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has said that thecourts cannot continue to determine elections. He said elections must be won atthe polling units. Read Also: Cameroon’s Paul Biya re-elected for 8th term withover 53% of vote Also, Amupitan vowed to curb the rising tide of pre-electionlitigations “that have long burdened Nigeria’s electoral process”. Speaking at the 56th Annual National Conference of theNigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) held at the University of Abuja onMonday, Prof. Amupitan declared that the era of “endless courtroom battles”over party primaries and internal disputes was coming to an end. The INEC boss, who assumed office barely a week ago afterbeing sworn in by President Bola Tinubu, described the current situation—whereover 1,000 pre-election cases were filed before the 2023 general elections—asunsustainable. “That is not democracy; that is litigation by other means,”he said firmly. According to him, lasting reform must begin with thepolitical parties themselves. “If political parties obey their constitutions,respect the Electoral Act, and align with the Nigerian Constitution, theavalanche of pre-election cases will collapse,” Amupitan stated. He emphasized that his goal is to make the law “aninstrument of change, not chaos.” “My desire is that when we get the law right, even thelosers will be the first to congratulate the winner. That is when our democracycan be said to have matured,” he added. Calling for stronger legislation, Prof. Amupitan urged theNational Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to ensure transparency andinternal democracy within political parties. While acknowledging that reducing election-related casesmight not please everyone, he insisted that restoring public confidence musttake precedence. “We cannot continue to allow the courts to determine ourelections. Elections must be won at the polling units, not in the courtroom,”he said. Addressing law teachers, students, and jurists at the eventthemed “Law, National Development and Economic Sustainability in a GlobalisedWorld,” the INEC Chairman urged legal scholars to view law as a tool forjustice and reform rather than personal gain. “As law teachers, we must lead by example—building ageneration that values integrity over influence and justice over convenience,”he said. Prof. Amupitan attended the event alongside his wife, Prof.Yemisi Amupitan, also a noted legal scholar and member of the NALT Board ofTrustees. Earlier, NALT President and Dean of Law at the University ofIbadan, Prof. John Akintayo, lauded the INEC Chairman’s reform agenda, notingthat “a nation’s progress depends on how its laws anticipate, adapt to, andshape change.” Conference Chairman, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu of the University ofAbuja, added that this year’s conference would spotlight key national issuesincluding food security, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and the needfor legal reforms to meet modern governance challenges.

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