The News
Nigeria’s electoral commission will obey any court ruling on whether the main challenger to President Bola Tinubu is eligible to contest January’s presidential election, its chairman said, potentially handing the judiciary a key role in Africa’s biggest poll.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is set to appeal last week’s high court ruling that invalidated his candidacy. The chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, speaking at the Chatham House think tank in London, said the body would be constitutionally “obligated” to “obey every court order” if the appeal fails.
INEC’s position adds to uncertainty around the vote in Africa’s top crude oil producer with less than 10 weeks until polls open.The commission is currently embroiled in more than 300 legal cases related to local elections, Amupitan said, adding that unresolved disputes could complicate its preparations for the forthcoming polls.
Credibility test
Bukola Idowa, executive director of civil society group Kimpact Development Initiative, warned any impression that the electoral process was opaque would undermine the validity of the vote. “We’re looking at an election that will put the credibility of all our constitutional institutions to the test,” he told the Chatham House event, adding that this was particularly true of the judiciary.
Tinubu won the 2023 election with 36% of the vote with Atiku coming second with…
