Group seeks ending gov, NASS election petitions at Court of Appeal
August 13, 2026 6:30 pm
A group photograph of some IJAP members
The Independent Judicial Accountability Panel has called for a two-level system of election litigation for National Assembly and governorship elections, with appeals terminating at the Court of Appeal except in exceptional circumstances.
The panel also renewed its call for the unbundling of the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to reduce the concentration of powers and promote transparency in the judiciary.
The recommendations were contained in the outcome of the fifth session of the IJAP, held in Abuja on Thursday.
According to the panel, “Election litigations for the House of Representatives, Senate, and Governorship elections should be two levels, ending at the Court of Appeal, with a five-member panel.”
The panel, chaired by retd. Justice Mojeet Owoade, said election petitions arising from House of Representatives, Senate and governorship elections should be determined at two levels, with the Court of Appeal as the final court and a five-member panel constituted to hear the cases.
He, however, recommended that in exceptional circumstances, an aggrieved party should be allowed to appeal to the Supreme Court with the “leave” of the court.
The panel also proposed a five-year restriction on former officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission from participating in partisan politics after leaving the commission.
It recommended an amendment to Section 156(1)(a) of the Constitution to restrict persons who had served as political appointees and staff who retired at directorate level from engaging in partisan politics for at least five years after leaving INEC, as it further advocated the constitutional recognition of independent candidacy, saying it would help eliminate godfatherism and promote wider participation in the electoral process.
“However, conditions for independent candidacy should be such that, among other things, discourages the proliferation of candidates,” the panel stated
It also called for an amendment to the constitution to enable citizens to institute public interest litigation over breaches of the Electoral Act and the constitution in the conduct of elections.
On the judiciary, the panel reiterated its recommendation that the office of the CJN be unbundled to reduce the concentration of power and promote transparency, stating that “there should be provisions for deputies to all heads of courts, with their roles and responsibilities clearly defined.”
The panel also urged the National Assembly to use an ascertainable recording of votes rather than voice votes on constitutional issues requiring a specific majority, as it maintained that INEC should not be a statutory respondent in election petitions.
The recommendations followed the panel’s interaction with the Chairman, Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Prof. Dakas Dakas, as part of its review of previous recommendations.
It said its first report examined judges of the 2023 presidential election petition, while its second ongoing study focuses on judges recently recommended for appointment to the appellate court.
IJAP said it had also embarked on advocacy visits to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Nigerian Law Reform Commission as part of efforts to advance judicial reforms
It said the ministry “positively expressed willingness to collaborate on implementing IJAP’s recommendations for reform that align with its current priorities.”
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, IJAP said it would continue to work with citizens to monitor election outcomes and judicial responses to election petitions.
Princess Etuk is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over five years of experience covering national development and the economy. She focuses on public policy, infrastructure, agriculture, and related sectors, producing insightful features and exclusive reports. Princess’s work reflects a strong commitment to accountability journalism, sectoral development reporting, and informed public dialogue.
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