Election Tribunals

Imnakoya comments: "By and large, OBJ and the PDP have gotten away with these elections. The election tribunals are the last beacon of hope for the robbed candidates and all Nigerians really. How soon could the tribunals start hearing cases? And for how long? It will be helpful if general information on this is posted in your document database."

We know that members of the various election tribunals have been sworn in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and will commence sitting soon after the elections, when they start receiving election petitions. Indeed INEC is already referring aggrieved candidates... But the process could prove long and drawn out if the post-2003 tribunals are anything to go by. The challenge to Anambra’s gubernatorial poll result took more than two years to resolve. But, as a lawyer in Abuja commented to NEH today, in times when soldiers can cordon off a court and prevent it from sitting, as happened Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, it’s hard to predict events.