Appeal Court President bemoans large number of election cases, effect on the judiciary

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem has bemoaned the volume of lawsuits emanating from elections in the country, adding that it was preventing judges from dealing with other cases, including those bordering on the economy.

Justice Dongban-Mensem, who stated this on Monday at a special court session marking the commencement of the 2023/2024 Legal Year in Abuja, revealed that from the 2023 general elections, 1,209 petitions arose, necessitating the setting up of 98 panels of judges to adjudicate on them,

While giving a breakdown of the petitions, she said five 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.

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She said: “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.”

Justice Dongban-Mensem further revealed 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.

According to her, lawsuits had started arising from the primary elections ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states November 11 elections.

“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”, she said.

She, however, urged politicians to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship, adding that all elections should not always end up in the court.

Appeal Court President bemoans large number of election cases, effect on the judiciary“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,” she said.

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