The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has urged members of the 2027 Election Petition Tribunals to avoid technicalities that undermine justice and ensure that the truth of the ballot prevails.
Amupitan made the call on Monday, November 9, 2026, in Abuja while delivering the opening remarks at a three-day workshop for Justices of the Court of Appeal and members of the Election Petition Tribunals at the Body of Benchers Complex.
The workshop, organised by the Court of Appeal, was themed “Election Tribunal as a Tool for Political Stability.”
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The INEC Chairman urged tribunal members to uphold the law, maintain integrity and ensure that justice is not only done but seen to be done.
He said the political stability of Nigeria in 2027 would depend not only on INEC’s ability to conduct credible elections but also on the courage, transparency and fairness with which election disputes are handled.
Amupitan noted that the 2027 General Election would commence on January 16, 2027, with the Presidential and National Assembly elections, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections would hold on February 6, 2027.
He described impartial electoral administration and independent judicial adjudication as essential pillars of constitutional democracy.
The INEC Chairman also stressed the importance of credible evidence in resolving electoral disputes, noting that election-related cases had become increasingly complex due to issues involving voter accreditation, electronic transmission of results, technological failures and digital records.
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He urged tribunal members to apply appropriate legal standards when considering electronic evidence, particularly in cases involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
He also warned against the growing threat of artificial intelligence-generated disinformation, audio cloning and deepfake videos, urging the courts to ensure that digital evidence is properly verified.
Amupitan commended the Court of Appeal, the National Judicial Institute and legal experts involved in producing the Second Edition of the Judicial Electoral Manual (JEM), 2026.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting credible, transparent and inclusive elections in accordance with the law.
The event featured the swearing-in of chairmen and members of the 2027 Election Petition Tribunals and the unveiling of the Second Edition of the Judicial Electoral Manual by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun.
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In her address, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice M. B. Dongban-Mensem, disclosed that 375 judicial officers had been nominated to serve on the tribunals.
She said the nominees comprised 138 returning members with previous tribunal experience and 237 newly nominated members.
She urged them to maintain judicial independence, resist improper influence and avoid unnecessary adjournments while ensuring that fairness was not compromised in the pursuit of speedy justice.
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