The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has solicited the support of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in handling its numerous pre-electoral cases in courts across the country.

INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu made the call on Thursday when he hosted an NBA delegation led by its president, Yakubu Maikyau, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

He said that as of February 6, INEC had been joined in 1,241 intra-party lawsuits in different courts of law, not on elections conducted by INEC but on primaries conducted by political parties for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections.

He said some cases had gone to the Federal High Court, some were before the Court of Appeal, and others were before the Supreme Court.

“On pre-election litigation alone, as of Monday this week, February 6, INEC has been joined in 1,241 cases, making us one of the most litigated against agencies in the country. These cases have nothing to do with elections conducted by INEC. They are primary elections conducted by political parties,” the INEC chair revealed.

He added, “But each time they go to court, they join the commission, and we have to engage either our own in-house lawyers or we transfer the cases out to external legal firms to represent the commission. Out of these 1,241 cases, over 300 are right now before the Court of Appeal. And 155 before the Supreme Court as of Monday this week.”

He requested the support of the NBA in handling some of the cases, particularly pro bono service to the nation. The chairman said the commission was committed to free, fair, credible and inclusive elections and equally verifiable elections.

Mr Yakubu explained that was why the INEC, over time, had been working to deepen technology usage in Nigeria elections.

“It is not just those involved in the elections as a coalition or returning officers, but even citizens must have access to results of election on election day. That is what we have been working for sometime now, our hope is that citizens will even know the outcome of elections before we make a formal declaration of results,” Mr Yakubu explained. “This is what has been encouraging us to strengthen and deepen the use of technology in elections.”

(NAN)