THE European Union (EU) has urged Nigerian electorate to choose their leaders through ballot amidst concerns about ‘contradictory decisions of courts’.
The EU made this known through its Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, who spoke in Abuja on Wednesday April 9 during the launch of a report titled, “From Ballot to the Courts: Analysis of Election Petition Litigation from Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections” put together by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
Mignot who was represented by the acting Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ruben Alba, stated that the protracted electoral issues undermined the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct well organised elections due to logistical challenges.
He further stressed that contradictory decisions of courts serve pose a threat to election administration, making the exercise of INEC regulatory responsibilities extremely tough.
He stressed that democracy largely depends on its judicial system, maintaining that the judiciary must maintain its constitutional responsibilities and enhance the protection of democratic values and the rule of law.
According to him, the important role of the judiciary in Nigeria’s democratic process has been confirmed by various judgments with great impact on the country’s democratic process. The courts have, through several groundbreaking decisions, strengthened and deepened democracy in Nigeria.
The EU ambassador stressed that the role played by the judiciary in the electoral process has given rise to positive and crucial transformation in the development process of Nigeria, but the country still has a lot to work on.
He added that it is also equally important to note that an effective judicial system is a collective responsibility, while the judiciary has a significant role to play in ensuring a timely, efficient, and transparent dispensation of justice.
“Citizens must also remain inform of their rights as enshrined by the Constitution, and this is also to hold the system accountable with electoral judiciary, there needs to be adequate information that forces compliance with the free spirit of the legislation so that cases are not just dismissed based only on technicalities, the conflicted decisions in respect of the same set of facts is also weighing heavily on the quality of the country’s democratic experience and the trust of voters, and as it was mentioned before, leaders should be elected through the ballot and not by the courts,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, stated that the report offered a wide analysis of the judgments delivered by the Election Petition Tribunals, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court over petitions arising from the general elections held in February and March 2023.
The EU has been promoting credible elections in the country.
In January 2025, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mignot, met with the Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, highlighting the EU’s interest in Nigeria’s electoral process.
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