The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has sworn in members of the Election Petition Tribunals ahead of the 2027 general elections, “warning judicial officers against political pressure and intimidation.”
Kekere-Ekun gave the charge on Monday during the inauguration ceremony at the Body of Benchers Auditorium in Abuja, which coincided with the launch of the second edition of the Judicial Electoral Manual and a specialised capacity-building workshop.
According to Channels Television on Monday, the CJN “urged the judges to uphold their oaths of office and administer justice without fear or favour as the country prepares for another electoral cycle.”
She stressed that “statutory and constitutional timelines governing election petitions left no room for trial delays or poor case management.”
The CJN also “called on legal practitioners, political parties, media organisations and members of the public to desist from unethical practices, abuse of ex parte applications and online campaigns aimed at prejudging cases or intimidating judicial officers.”
Emphasising the importance of collective responsibility in protecting democracy, Kekere-Ekun said the “Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies and the legal profession must perform their statutory responsibilities conscientiously.”
She, however, maintained that the judiciary’s responsibility was to resolve electoral disputes strictly in accordance with the law and available evidence.
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The CJN also confirmed that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were scheduled for February 6, 2027.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said “election petition tribunals remained essential to resolving political disputes and maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.”
Speaking at the three-day workshop for justices and tribunal members in Abuja, Amupitan described the tribunals as constitutional mechanisms for de-escalating political tensions and securing public trust under the rule of law.
He also highlighted emerging challenges in electoral litigation, particularly the use of technology and digital misinformation.
According to Channels Television, the INEC chairman cited the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal as technologies that had enhanced electoral transparency, while noting the need for the judiciary to address emerging threats, including artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes and misinformation.
The workshop and inauguration come ahead of the 2027 general elections, with election petition tribunals expected to adjudicate disputes arising from the polls.
