Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has expressed his concerns about the judiciary’s role in determining election winners in Nigeria. He urged the judiciary not to infringe on the people’s right to decide the victors in elections.
Chief George raised these concerns during a press briefing at his office in Ikoyi, following the announcement by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja that it would deliver its judgment on Wednesday.
The tribunal revealed that it would deliver its verdict on the petitions challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
During the briefing, Chief George questioned the judiciary’s practice of declaring election winners rather than ordering INEC to conduct fresh elections if irregularities are discovered. He voiced his concerns about the current state of the electoral process in Nigeria, describing it as flawed and detrimental to the country’s progress.
Chief George emphasized the importance of upholding the will of the people in a democratic system and suggested that if any issues arise, the solution should be to organize a new election, even if it needs to be repeated multiple times. He criticized the idea of the judiciary determining election outcomes, stating that it should not be “Government of the judiciary by the judiciary and for the judiciary,” but rather a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
His comments highlight the ongoing debate in Nigeria about the role of the judiciary in the electoral process and the need for transparent and fair elections.