Prof. Joash Amupitan, chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), cautioned the 375 judges who will hear petitions from the 2027 general election that political stability hinges on both efficient electoral administration and “courageously, transparently, and justly” adjudicated disputes.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Amupitan opened a three‑day workshop for Justices of the Court of Appeal and members of the 2027 Election Petition Tribunals. The event, themed “Election Tribunal as a Tool for Political Stability,” also saw the swearing‑in of tribunal chairmen and members and the unveiling of the Second Edition of the Judicial Electoral Manual (JEM) 2026 by Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere‑Ekun.
With presidential and National Assembly elections set for 16 January 2027 and governorship and State House of Assembly polls on 6 February 2027, the INEC chairman stressed that Nigeria’s democratic legitimacy rests on “impartial electoral administration and fearless judicial adjudication.” He described the Election Petition Tribunal as “the constitutional valve that releases political pressure and prevents electoral friction from devolving into civil disruption,” citing Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 134(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
“Where adjudication is seen as unpredictable, excessively technical or delayed, political stability is threatened,” Amupitan warned.
He singled out Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act 2026, which governs the electronic transmission of polling‑unit results, noting that its interpretation “may feature prominently in future petitions.” Amupitan outlined INEC’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines, which mandate the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), procedures for uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), and safeguards for reconciling electronic records with physical result sheets during collation. He urged tribunals to treat electronic evidence “neither as infallible nor discounted simply because the evidence is electronic,” and to assess the authenticity, reliability and probative value of BVAS data, IReV records, result sheets and voters’ registers.
Amupitan also warned that threats to the electoral process now include AI‑powered disinformation, audio cloning and deepfake videos. He identified three likely attack vectors: AI‑generated messages impersonating election officials, deepfake audio or video released during the statutory broadcast blackout, and cloned videos of Returning Officers falsely declaring results before collation ends. He called the phenomenon the “Liar’s Dividend” and urged tribunals to apply rigorous standards under Section 84 of the Evidence Act, insisting on digital provenance, forensic chain of custody and certified data from INEC.
While calling for closer professional engagement between INEC and the judiciary, Amupitan made clear that such interaction “is not an avenue to influence judicial decisions or discuss the merits of pending proceedings.” He added that the commission “respects these constitutional boundaries and remains committed to compliance with valid judicial decisions.” He also urged consistency in judicial reasoning on substantial compliance, burden and standard of proof, and candidate nomination, describing the JEM 2026 as “an indispensable compass” for the tribunals. The chairman concluded that the newly sworn tribunal members carry “the democratic aspirations of over 200 million Nigerians” and that the courtroom is “the altar upon which public confidence in constitutional governance is preserved.”
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
