A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Emeka Ngige, has flayed the judiciary for not playing its role to ensure a better electoral process and condemned judges who lobby to be included in election tribunal.
Ngige, who spoke at the 7th Annual Law and Social Development Lecture of Bamidele Aturu & Co., noted that often, the judiciary was susceptible to manipulation, in terms of composition of tribunal members.
He said: “The judiciary has a tremendous role to play. It is the judiciary that actually makes or mars any electoral process. If an election is badly conducted, it is the judiciary that will call the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to order.
“It is also the judiciary that can defend a properly conducted election. The problem we have now is that the judiciary is not playing that role.”
Noting that some vested interests played parts in ensuring that certain judges were nominated to election tribunal, Ngige pointed out that what would mar the success of the 2015 general elections was a repeat of situations where a judge lobbied his Chief Judge for inclusion in election tribunal.
