Judiciary Should Not Be Responsible For Determining Winners Of Elections – Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has said that only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the exclusive right to determine the winner of the election.

He insisted that the judiciary should not be responsible for determining the winner of the election.

Falansa shared his thoughts during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.

He argued that determining winners of elections is an exclusive reserve of the nation’s electoral body.

Falana opined that it doesn’t take much to conduct a good election if the political class are honest and dedicated to the conduct of transparent elections.

The Senior Advocate said that Nigeria must realise at all times that it has the largest concentration of black people on earth and therefore has a greater responsibility to put its house in order so that black people will not be insulted all over the world.

“No doubt the judgment of the Supreme Court ascended the electoral contestation as far as the presidential election conducted in February this year is concerned, but for sure it is not a judicial endorsement of the conduct of the election by INEC.

“And what I mean is that even with the judgment, it is very clear that Nigeria has a long way to go in terms of ensuring that credible elections are conducted, elections that will be devoid of acrimony, elections that all of us will be proud of, but we are still a long way from there even with the judgment.

“Yes for now the presidential election is concluded, it should have been concluded in February, but it has just been concluded by the Supreme Court and it should not be so. The judiciary should not determine the winners of elections.

“Judges are not suited to determine the winners of election; that is a job that is the exclusive reserve of INEC if things are done properly and that is why we must put an end to the shame that has become our law in terms of conducting elections,” Falana said.