Election tribunal: 375 judges take oath, parties insist on fairness

With concerns raised over the credibility of the judiciary ahead of the 2027 elections, the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition parties have challenged 375 judges inaugurated to handle election petitions to resist political interference, financial inducements and pressure capable of compromising electoral justice.

While the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party urged the judges to demonstrate fairness and protect the credibility of the electoral process, the Labour Party and Obidient Movement called for closer monitoring of their activities and warned against using election tribunals to legitimise alleged electoral fraud.

The Nigerian Democratic Congress, on the other hand, expressed the hope that the outcome of the 2027 elections would be determined by voters at the ballot rather than by the courts.

The parties spoke exclusively with The PUNCH following the inauguration of the 375 judges on Monday by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The inauguration comes 68 days before the elections, with the judges expected to adjudicate disputes arising from the National Assembly, governorship and state assembly polls.

The President of the Court of Appeal is constitutionally empowered under Section 285(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to constitute election petition tribunals to hear disputes arising from National and State Houses of Assembly and governorship elections.

Similarly, Section 134(3)(a) and (b) of the Electoral Act, 2026, provides for timelines relating to the constitution of the tribunals and the opening of their registries.

In her address at the inauguration held at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja, Justice Dongban-Mensem said the exercise demonstrated a collective commitment to constitutional democracy, the rule of law and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Speaking on their expectations, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the judiciary must prove its worth by ensuring that justice was served, particularly amid allegations of bias and collusion against the ruling party.

He urged the judges to treat complaints of electoral injustice fairly and demonstrate that the judiciary remained independent of political influence.

Ibrahim stated, “We expect justice, and we expect justice, particularly at a time like this when the credibility of all stakeholders in the electoral process is being questioned. It is for the judiciary to prove its worth and ensure that justice is done.

“Wherever there is an infringement or a complaint of injustice in the conduct of the election, we expect the judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, to live up to expectations.

“There are a lot of accusations from the opposition against our party, alleging that we are conniving with the judiciary to stifle or annihilate the opposition. It is for the judiciary to ensure that this is not the case and to prove to all doubting Thomases that it is indeed equal to the task of serving as one of the three arms of government.

“That is what we expect from the judiciary: fairness, fairness and fairness.”

Similarly, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Muhammad, urged the judges to protect the integrity of the judiciary, warning against financial inducements and any conduct capable of undermining democracy.

He said the judges must ensure that justice was not only done but seen to have been done, adding that their conduct would be crucial to restoring public confidence in the institution.

He stated, “The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. Therefore, judges must not only dispense justice but also ensure that justice is seen to have been done. They must demonstrate that the judiciary has not been monetised, sanitise the system and ensure the survival of democracy.

“The credibility of the judges and their commitment to fairness, impartiality and the rule of law are critical to protecting the reputation of the judiciary and sustaining public confidence in the institution. The panel, as constituted, must therefore do everything possible to redeem the image of the judiciary.

“The PDP, as a party, has confidence in the judiciary and believes that it will uphold its position as the last hope of the common man.”

The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the party hoped that the 2027 elections would be decided by Nigerians at the polling units rather than through post-election litigation.

He, however, acknowledged that election petitions could arise from the National Assembly and governorship contests, beyond the presidential election.

He said, “We are watching and waiting. There will always be an election tribunal because you can’t restrict yourself to the presidency alone. There is likely going to be fallout from the National Assembly and maybe governorship polls too.

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“So, it is their right to nominate judges for the election tribunal. We wish them luck. But we can only pray and hope that the Nigerian election shall not be decided by the judiciary, but by the people and at the ballot. That’s our prayer, and that’s our hope.”

The Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, called on the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council to go beyond public admonitions and take concrete steps to monitor the judges.

While expressing hope that the judicial officers would dispense justice without fear or favour, he said the credibility of the judiciary had come under serious public scrutiny.

Asogwa stated, “While hoping that the judges will have the courage to dispense justice, no matter whose ox is gored, I also hope and pray that the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council will go beyond the usual rhetoric of admonishing judicial officers to live above board and take concrete steps to monitor the activities of these judges, with a view to cleaning the Augean stable.

“Nigeria’s democracy is today at the precipice, largely on account of the extremism of politicians. Unfortunately, the judiciary has not demonstrated sufficient capacity to rein in the excesses of some of these rampaging politicians. Never in our nation’s history has the reputation of the Nigerian judiciary come under such serious public scrutiny.

“As we await the role the judiciary will play in the immediate aftermath of the elections, the Labour Party wishes to remind our judges that the nation beckons on them to rise to the occasion. They must never lose sight of the fact that they remain the last hope of the common man, particularly in circumstances where politicians, in their usual rascality, have visited injustice on the people. The judiciary must, therefore, remain the bulwark against arbitrariness, impunity and the subversion of the democratic will of the people.”

The Obidient Movement Director of Media and Communications, Onyeka Dike, was more critical, alleging that Nigerians had lost confidence in the judiciary as an impartial arbiter of electoral disputes.

He described the inauguration of the judges as a troubling indication of the country’s reliance on post-election litigation rather than credible electoral processes.

Dike alleged that judges were being influenced by political actors and insisted that the 2027 elections must be decided by voters, not through what he described as manipulated court proceedings.

He said, “The inauguration of 375 judges for the 2027 election tribunals is a troubling reminder of how much our electoral system has deteriorated. Rather than preparing for credible elections, we appear to be preparing for another round of electoral litigation.

“Let us be clear: Nigerians have lost confidence in the judiciary as an impartial arbiter of electoral disputes. People know that judges are puppets in the hands of Nyesom Wike and the APC. The trust deficit is enormous. Nigerians no longer believe that going to court guarantees justice. We cannot continue to build our democracy around the assumption that stolen mandates will be recovered in courtrooms.

“We are determined that the 2027 elections will be decided by Nigerians, not INEC, not politicians, and certainly not the judiciary. The era of stealing people’s mandates and asking them to go to remote-controlled courts ended in 2023.”

Dike insisted that the 2027 elections must be decided by voters at polling units, not by INEC, politicians or the judiciary.

He demanded transparent transmission of results, protection of votes and an end to political interference, warning that Nigerians would resist any attempt to manipulate their democratic choices.

“Let those contemplating electoral fraud in 2027 understand this clearly: Nigeria is not a country they can repeatedly rob of its democratic choices and expect the people to remain silent. They must not steal the people’s votes, manipulate the results and then hide behind election tribunals, expecting Nigerians to accept a judicial endorsement of electoral fraud. That era must end.

“What we demand is straightforward: let Nigerians vote freely, let every vote count, let results be transmitted transparently, and let the outcome reflect the actual votes cast at the polling units. No manipulation by INEC, no interference by politicians, no intimidation by thugs, and no judicial legitimisation of electoral fraud.

“Democracy means the people choose their leaders. It does not mean INEC chooses, politicians impose, and the judiciary legitimises such criminality.

“The 2027 elections must be decided by the Nigerian people at the polling units. Nigerians will defend their right to choose their leaders through every lawful and democratic means. Nobody should mistake our commitment to democracy for a willingness to surrender the people’s mandate.

“The message is simple: do not rig the 2027 elections. Do not test the patience of Nigerians. Nigerians have suffered enough and have every right to be angry. They have every right to reject Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 elections, and their choice must be respected. Anyone thinking of doing otherwise is inviting anarchy and must be stopped,” he stated.