The new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has pledged to tackle the rising wave of pre-election court cases that have become a recurring feature of Nigeria’s democratic process.
Amupitan made the pledge on Monday while addressing participants at the 56th Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT), held at the University of Abuja.
The INEC boss, who assumed office barely a week ago following his swearing-in by President Bola Tinubu, described the trend of excessive pre-election litigations as a “distortion of democracy” and vowed to reform the system.
“We cannot continue to run a democracy where over 1,000 pre-election cases are filed before the first ballot is even cast. That is not democracy — it is litigation by other means,” Amupitan declared.
He emphasized that his administration would prioritize the enforcement of internal party democracy, insisting that political parties must comply strictly with their constitutions, the Electoral Act, and the Nigerian Constitution to prevent unnecessary legal disputes.
“If political parties obey their own rules and the law, the avalanche of pre-election cases will collapse. My goal is to make the law an instrument of change, not chaos,” he stated.
Prof. Amupitan further expressed optimism that a properly regulated political process would enhance electoral credibility and reduce public cynicism toward elections.
“When we get the law right, even the losers will congratulate the winners. That is when our democracy can truly be said to have matured,” he added.
The INEC Chairman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and seasoned academic, also called on the National Assembly to strengthen the country’s electoral legal framework, noting that credible elections depend on clear and enforceable laws as well as transparent party practices.
While acknowledging that a reduction in election-related cases might not favor some legal practitioners, Amupitan maintained that the reform was vital to restoring public trust in the electoral process.
“Elections should be won at the polling units, not in the courtroom,” he said pointedly.
Addressing law teachers, students, and jurists at the event themed “Law, National Development and Economic Sustainability in a Globalised World,” Amupitan urged legal scholars to view the law as a tool for reform and justice.
“As law teachers, we must lead by example, building a generation that values integrity over influence and justice over convenience,” he charged.
Earlier, the President of NALT and Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Prof. John Akintayo, commended Amupitan’s reformist stance, describing it as timely and visionary.
“The progress of any nation depends on how its laws anticipate, adapt to, and shape change,” Akintayo said.
Also speaking, the Conference Chairman and Dean of Law, University of Abuja, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu, noted that this year’s meeting would address emerging themes such as food security, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and legal reforms—areas he said were crucial for aligning governance with global realities.
