We’ve been dragged to court 1,600 times over 2019 Election – INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

The Chairman of the Independent and National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on Saturday, August 3, revealed that the 2019 general elections led to over 1,600 court cases.

The electoral commission boss made the disclosure after receiving an award of excellence from the Kaduna chapter of the National Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).  Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the court cases centred on the rancour emanating from party primaries.

“We can have election that us free, but elections starts from party primaries, because they produce the candidates for the general education. However, before the last general elections, we had some of the most acrimonous party primaries in the history of elections in Nigeria, resulting to a large number of litigations.

“As we speak, INEC has been dragged to court 809 times over the conduct of primaries by political parties. If you add that to the post election litigations, we have so far been dragged to court over 1,600 times. So, we have been dragged to court of party primaries that, the suits challenging the conduct of the election.

“That not withstanding, elections can be free and fair, we are doing our best as an electoral comission, but INEC has its responsibilities clearly cut out, others have theirs, especially the political parties have theirs. But, working together, we will actually get to where we desire to be.” He said.