There is no democracy without elections. The
electorates choose their representatives through elections. However, the
violence and malpractices associated with elections in Nigeria, especially
since the return of democracy in 1999, has made more crucial the role of the
Elections Petition Tribunals.
As experienced in the country after the 2007
general election, the judiciary has a vital role to play in the electoral
process. A lot of the governorship and legislative election results were
overturned by the tribunals and the appellate courts, with some winners of
those cases reclaiming their mandates two years after the election during which
the wrong persons occupied such positions illegally.
This has necessitated a speedy hearing of
electoral dispute cases and an adjustment in the election timetable in such a
way that there will be enough time to conclude hearing and deliver judgment
between the time an election is held and the time the winner is sworn in into
office.
Therefore, I prescribe
that elections should be held six months before the tenure of the incumbent
terminates. ALL litigations arising from the elections must be completed within
this period, before the winner of the election is sworn into office.
