Elections must be won at polling units, not courtrooms – Amupitan, INEC chair

The newly-appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has said that the courts cannot continue to determine elections. He said elections must be won at the polling units.

Also, Amupitan vowed to curb the rising tide of pre-election litigations “that have long burdened Nigeria’s electoral process”.

Speaking at the 56th Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) held at the University of Abuja on Monday, Prof. Amupitan declared that the era of “endless courtroom battles” over party primaries and internal disputes was coming to an end.

The INEC boss, who assumed office barely a week ago after being sworn in by President Bola Tinubu, described the current situation—where over 1,000 pre-election cases were filed before the 2023 general elections—as unsustainable.

“That is not democracy; that is litigation by other means,” he said firmly.

According to him, lasting reform must begin with the political parties themselves. “If political parties obey their constitutions, respect the Electoral Act, and align with the Nigerian Constitution, the avalanche of pre-election cases will collapse,” Amupitan stated.

He emphasized that his goal is to make the law “an instrument of change, not chaos.”

“My desire is that when we get the law right, even the losers will be the first to congratulate the winner. That is when our democracy can be said to have matured,” he added.

Calling for stronger legislation, Prof. Amupitan urged the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to ensure transparency and internal democracy within political parties.

While acknowledging that reducing election-related cases might not please everyone, he insisted that restoring public confidence must take precedence.

“We cannot continue to allow the courts to determine our elections. Elections must be won at the polling units, not in the courtroom,” he said.

Addressing law teachers, students, and jurists at the event themed “Law, National Development and Economic Sustainability in a Globalised World,” the INEC Chairman urged legal scholars to view law as a tool for justice and reform rather than personal gain.

“As law teachers, we must lead by example—building a generation that values integrity over influence and justice over convenience,” he said.

Prof. Amupitan attended the event alongside his wife, Prof. Yemisi Amupitan, also a noted legal scholar and member of the NALT Board of Trustees.

Earlier, NALT President and Dean of Law at the University of Ibadan, Prof. John Akintayo, lauded the INEC Chairman’s reform agenda, noting that “a nation’s progress depends on how its laws anticipate, adapt to, and shape change.”

Conference Chairman, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu of the University of Abuja, added that this year’s conference would spotlight key national issues including food security, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and the need for legal reforms to meet modern governance challenges.