ABUJA — The new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has vowed to end the culture of excessive pre-election litigations that has long undermined Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking at the 56th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) at the University of Abuja, Amupitan described the prevalence of over 1,000 pre-election cases before the 2023 polls as “litigation by other means,” stressing that democracy must not be reduced to courtroom battles.
He said his priority as INEC chairman is to restore credibility to the electoral process through strict adherence to party constitutions, the Electoral Act, and the Nigerian Constitution.
“If political parties obey their own rules and the law, the avalanche of pre-election cases will collapse. My goal is to make the law an instrument of change, not chaos,” he stated.
Amupitan, who assumed office a week ago after being sworn in by President Bola Tinubu, urged the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws and ensure political parties embrace genuine internal democracy. He emphasized that elections should be won at polling units, not in courts.
He also challenged legal scholars to uphold integrity and use the law as a tool for reform and justice. “As law teachers, we must raise a generation that values integrity over influence and justice over convenience,” he said.
NALT President, Prof. John Akintayo, praised the INEC chairman’s vision, noting that law remains the backbone of governance and national progress. Conference Chairman, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu, added that the event would spotlight emerging issues such as food security, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and legal reforms critical to national development.