Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has asserted that the Independent National Electoral Commission is the sole body responsible for determining the winners of elections in Nigeria, not the judiciary.
Falana made this statement while answering questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday night, a day after the Supreme Court upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 general election.
Falana noted that Nigeria has yet to maintain a strong footing in the conduct of elections that are free of acrimony.
He said that while the Supreme Court’s judgment has concluded the presidential election, it should not have been so, as the judiciary should not determine the winners of elections.
“No doubt, the judgement of the Supreme Court ascended the electoral contestation as far as the presidential election conducted in February this year is concerned, but for sure, it is not a judicial endorsement of the conduct of the election by INEC.
“What I mean is that, even with the judgement, it is very clear that Nigeria has a long way to go in terms of ensuring that credible elections are conducted, elections that will be devoid of acrimony, elections that all of us will be proud of, but we are still a long way from there even with the judgement.
“Yes, for now, the presidential election is concluded; it should have been concluded in February, but it has just been concluded by the Supreme Court and it should not be so. The judiciary should not determine the winners of elections,” he said.
