2027 Polls: HURIWA warns 375 election judges against selling justice

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the 375 judges inaugurated to handle election petitions ahead of the 2027 general elections against turning the courts into marketplaces where politicians can purchase electoral victories.

The group cautioned that the credibility of the 2027 elections must be determined by the votes cast by Nigerians rather than the financial resources of politicians, judicial manipulation or alleged backroom arrangements.

HURIWA’s warning, contained in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Sunday, came amid renewed concerns over allegations of financial inducement and the use of judicial proceedings to overturn electoral outcomes.

It urged the judges to uphold their oaths of office and resist attempts by politicians and other interested parties to compromise the integrity of election petition proceedings.

The association said it had received disturbing concerns about alleged attempts by some politicians to influence election-related judicial proceedings through financial inducements, warning that the 2027 post-election period would be a defining moment for the Nigerian judiciary.

It maintained that Nigerians would no longer accept a situation in which politicians who lose elections at the polling units allegedly secure victories through questionable court judgments.

The warning comes against the backdrop of recurring allegations of corruption and financial inducement in election petition proceedings.

During the 2023 election tribunal proceedings in Kano State, the Chairman of the State and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Flora Azinge, raised an alarm over an alleged attempt by a senior lawyer to bribe members of her panel through a staff member.

Justice Azinge disclosed in open court that a sum of N10 million was allegedly offered to one of her staff for onward delivery to the tribunal members, warning that she would not tolerate attempts to pervert the course of justice.

Similarly, in January 2023, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, cautioned registrars of election petition tribunals against treating their assignments as opportunities to enrich themselves.

She warned them not to see their responsibilities as an opportunity to make money, stressing that anyone found guilty of corruption would be dismissed and prosecuted.

More recently, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on Monday administered the oath of office to the newly nominated members of the 2027 Election Petition Tribunals, charging them to resist political pressure and administer justice without fear or favour.

The CJN also cautioned against the filing of multiple suits on the same subject matter, obtaining conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction and the abuse of ex-parte proceedings to secure tactical advantages in election disputes.

She warned that such practices could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and turn the courts into instruments of political contest.

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dongban-Mensem, who disclosed that 375 judicial officers had been nominated for the tribunals, also urged them to resist every attempt at improper influence, including political pressure, financial inducement, intimidation and personal relationships.

Of the 375 nominees, she said, 138 were returning members with previous election tribunal experience, while 237 were newly nominated.

Against this background, HURIWA warned that any judge who compromised his or her oath of office for financial inducement would face heightened public scrutiny.

The association stressed that judicial officers were being entrusted with the responsibility of protecting Nigeria’s democratic future and not the political survival of powerful individuals.

It said any judge who converted the courtroom into a marketplace for electoral victories would be betraying the Constitution and undermining the sovereignty of the Nigerian people.

HURIWA further argued that constitutional protection of judicial offices should not be mistaken for immunity from public accountability, insisting that Nigerians and political stakeholders would closely monitor the conduct of the tribunals.

The group called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to intensify surveillance and investigate credible allegations of financial inducement or attempts to compromise election petition proceedings.

It also urged the Code of Conduct Bureau to strengthen scrutiny of asset declarations by judges handling election disputes.

On the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), HURIWA challenged its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to demonstrate institutional independence and ensure that the 2027 elections were credible enough to minimise avoidable post-election disputes.

It urged the electoral body to resist political pressure and ensure that announced results accurately reflected the choices made by voters at polling units.

According to the association, election tribunals should resolve genuine disputes arising from the electoral process rather than routinely become the final destination for politicians seeking to overturn the decisions of voters.

HURIWA maintained that the credibility of the tribunal judges’ decisions would have consequences extending beyond the immediate political fortunes of candidates to the survival of democratic governance.

“Let the people’s votes count. No politician must buy what the people have refused to give, and no judge must sell what the people have decided,” the association stated.