The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has cried out over the number of election petitions that arose from the 2023 general election, saying it is overwhelming.
According to her, 1,209 petitions arose from the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, and 98 panels of judges were set up to adjudicate on them.
The appeal court president on Monday bemoaned the large number of petitions, saying it has affected dealing with other cases, including those bordering on the economy.
Giving a further breakdown of the lawsuits, she said five suits were filed at the Presidential Election Petition Court; 147 at the senatorial election tribunals; 417 at the House of Representatives elections tribunal; 557 at the Houses of Assembly election tribunals and 83 focusing on the governorship elections.
While speaking during a special court session marking the commencement of the 2023/2024 Legal Year in Abuja on Monday, Justice Dongban-Mensem explained that out of the 28 states where governorship elections took place in the last general elections, only Kwara, Niger, Yobe, and Katsina did not result in litigation.
She stated, “The cost and negative effect of electoral litigation is becoming worrisome. It is becoming economically alarming that the entire Nigerian judicial system is inundated with electoral litigation and adjudication almost all year round.
“It is a matter of concern that a large number of judges of the trial court have been engaged for six months in the exclusive management of electoral cases. The implication is that commercial matters are tied down in our courts. Industrial disputes and land matters which, when determined in good time, could create jobs and release cash flow into the economy, are tied down in court registries.”
Speaking further, she said there are already lawsuits emanating from primary elections of states with off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi ahead of the November 11 polls.
“We have already received several pre-election appeals related to the conduct of political party primaries in these states, and we are working assiduously to ensure that they are promptly disposed of. No days off for judicial officers!
“Democracy is beautiful, it is the way to go. However, politicians should, in the interest of our national economic development, imbibe the spirit of good sportsmanship. They should pay more attention to internal democracy and exercise the spirit of loyalty to a cause, which necessarily entails letting go in the interest of discipline and internal harmony. All elections need not end up in court,”Dongban-Mensem added.
