•‘23,333 varsity workers for election duties, insurance cover for all’
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said pre-election cases pending in various courts are inserting pressure on the commission, even though they did not conduct any of the elections.
Addressing a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led by its President, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Yakubu said as at February 6, the commission had been joined in about 1,241 pre-election cases.
The INEC chairman said over 300 pre-election cases arising from party primaries for the 2023 general election are currently pending at the Court of Appeal, while about 145 others are pending at the Supreme Court.
Yakubu has also said the commission would extend insurance cover to all those that will be involved in election duty, besides ensuring tight security for everyone.
He said about 23,258 university workers are expected to participate in the general election as Collation and Returning Officers.
He said: “The parties conducted their primaries and submitted a list of their candidates to the commission. Cases were filed at the Federal High Court by aggrieved persons and they joined the commission in such cases, even though we did not conduct those elections.
“When they join the commission, we have to either engage the services of our in-house lawyers to handle the cases or contract them to outside lawyers. We will appreciate the support of the NBA in handling some of these cases.
“We look forward to possible suggestions from you on how to handle these cases expeditiously. INEC is committed to the conduct of a free, fair, credible and verifiable election where citizens will have access to election results.
“Our loyalty is not to anybody but to the Nigerian people. I want to assure you that the will of the Nigerian people will count.”
Maikyau assured INEC of NBA’s support to deliver a credible general election and promised to support the commission in exercising its independence.
He said: “Free and fair elections can only be achieved if the people are allowed to make their own choices of leaders and have confidence in the electoral body saddled with the responsibility of conducting the elections.
“With the good work you have done in the commission, you have earned the confidence of Nigerians as an umpire properly positioned to deliver a free, fair and credible election.
“If the process of the election has any question mark, or the person saddled with the responsibility cannot be trusted, it would mar the outcome of the exercise.
“The NBA is solidly behind you. We will not allow anything that will derail your assignment or threaten your independence. If there is anything or anyone that threatens your independence, call on us and we will be there to assist you.”