Falana accuses courts of imposing politicians on Nigerians

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on Thursday decried the involvement of courts in the country’s electoral process.

He also accused the judiciary of imposing politicians on Nigerians.

Falana, according to a statement issued by his media aide, stated this in his address at the opening session of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) law week in Ondo State.

He stressed that the electorate should be given the liberty to choose who to govern them.

The lawyer said: “This involvement has been forced by the neglect of its duties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the arbitrariness and impunity of some of the members of the Executive, and the corrupt activities of political parties.

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“In order to respect the democratic wishes of the electorate, there has to be a new electoral jurisprudence. Since the people are the greatest defenders of democracy, INEC must be made to ensure the votes of the electorate count.

“The courts have been involved in the appointment of party officers and endorsement of candidates sponsored by political parties to contest elections.

“Even the meetings of the organs and national conventions of political parties are fixed by the courts. Cases arising from the management of political parties are filed in the high court of the Federal Capital Territory or at the Federal High Court, outside the venue of the dispute.

“The winners of primaries and general elections are no longer determined by the electorate but by the election petition tribunals and courts.”

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