Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, the president of the Court of Appeal, lamented the number of lawsuits resulting from the recent elections in the nation on Monday.
Justice Dongban-Mensem spoke at a special court session marking the commencement of the 2023/2024 Legal Year in Abuja on Monday.
She also said that this was hindering judges from handling other issues, such as those involving the economy.
The appellate court president observed that 1,209 petitions resulted from the general elections of 2023, necessitating the formation of 98 panels of judges to hear them.
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Five petitions were submitted to the Presidential Election Petition Court, 147 to the Senate Election Tribunals, 417 to the House of Representatives Election Tribunal, 557 to the Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal, and 83 to the Governorship Election Tribunal, according to the justice who gave a breakdown of the petitions.
She said, “The cost and negative effect of electoral litigation is becoming worrisome. It is becoming economically alarming that the entire Nigerian judicial system is inundated with electoral litigation and adjudication almost all year round.
“It is a matter of concern that a large number of judges of the trial court have been engaged for six months in the exclusive management of electoral cases. The implication is that commercial matters are tied down in our courts. Industrial disputes and land matters which when determined in good time could create jobs and release cash flow into the economy are tied down in court registries.”
She said already, lawsuits had started arising from the primary elections ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states November 11 elections.
Dongban-Mensem said, “We have already received several pre-election appeals related to the conduct of political party primaries in these states and we are working assiduously to ensure that they are promptly disposed of. No days off for judicial officers!”
She, therefore, urged politicians to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship, adding that all elections should not always end up in the court.
“Democracy is beautiful, it is the way to go. However, politicians should, in the interest of our national economic development, imbibe the spirit of good sportsmanship. They should pay more attention to internal democracy and exercise the spirit of loyalty to a cause, which necessarily entails letting go in the interest of discipline and internal harmony. All elections need not end up in court,” she said.
