2023 Guber Polls: Analyst Predicts Shockers At Supreme Court

The Supreme Court should endeavour to save Nigeria’s democracy by being above board as the verdicts of about 13 state governors are being determined in the aftermath of the 2023 general elections.

Dr Dele Maxwell Ugwuanyi, a public affairs analyst, stated this in an interview in Enugu on Monday.

According to him, the apex court is the last phase of governorship election petitions in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said, “There will be shockers in some states. Most governors sit on the edge because of the complexities of their cases.

“There will be cries and laughter for some people. It is only the governorship elections that span from the lower court through the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court.

“Governors that have bad cases know. Those that didn’t infringe on the provisions of the law will also provide their facts because law is not emotions.

“There have been cases where the Supreme Court provided surprises. It sacked Dr Chris Ngige as Anambra Governor in favour of Mr Peter Obi. Dr Andy Uba was also sacked for the same Obi.

“Gov Hope Uzodinma of Imo State lost at the tribunal, and Appeal Court but won at the Supreme Court.

“Former Gov Nyesom Wike of Rivers State also lost at the tribunal, Court of Appeals, but got his mandate at the apex court.

“Many incumbent governors are uncomfortable because of the uncertainties surrounding their victories. I urge the apex court to be seen to be just.”

He however said it was unfortunate that Nigeria’s democracy is being determined at courts instead of electorate.

Quoting him, “It is not a good advertisement for our democracy. Five or seven persons determining the fate of hundreds and thousands of voters through technicalities does not augur well for our democracy.

“It encourages some few to ambush the electoral system, and ask the defeated to go to court.

“Most infractions are not the making of the electorate. It is wrong to punish the electorate by actions of party officials or the Independent National Election Commission.

“It makes many not have confidence in the electoral system. The court should rather throw the power to determine the true winners back to the electorate.

“Many shun voting because of court technicalities. Asking the electorate to re-vote in disputed areas is better than empowering the judiciary to determine what they didn’t participate in.

“It makes the eventuality seem like it is a game of the highest bidders, especially when similar scenarios receive different judicial interpretations,” he said.

He called for restructuring of the constitution to enable disputed governorship polls to be concluded before the swearing-in of winners to ‘reduce distractions on sitting governors and also not to give them undue advantages over their co-contestants’.