Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has called for far-reaching judicial reforms to ensure that all election-related disputes are resolved before elected officials are sworn into office.

Speaking in Lagos on Thursday at a public forum held to mark this year’s June 12 Democracy Day, Jega criticised the current state of the judiciary in Nigeria, describing it as sluggish, compromised, and in urgent need of reform to rebuild public trust.

“The Nigerian judiciary needs to be urgently reformed. Globally, the judiciary is said to be the last bastion of hope for the common man. In the Nigerian context, it is really far, far, far from being the bastion of hope for the common man,” he said.

He lamented that the process of appointing judicial officers has been weakened by nepotism and a lack of rigorous vetting, resulting in the elevation of individuals lacking in competence and integrity.

Jega advocated for constitutional or institutional changes that would compel the conclusion of all election petitions and court cases before any elected executive assumes office.

“It should be made mandatory that all election disputes are resolved before swearing in of elected executives,” he stated, adding that the judiciary must demonstrate greater impartiality and efficiency in electoral matters.

He also condemned the rising incidence of contradictory court orders, warning that they erode the credibility of the judiciary and jeopardise electoral justice.

“Contradictory orders and the injunctions issued by courts of competent jurisdiction should also be proscribed,” he declared.

Jega highlighted the problem of prolonged pre-election litigation, noting that some cases drag on for years after officials have already taken office. 

“A situation in which a pre-election matter can last three, four years before it is addressed, long after the wrongly sworn-in person has been there is terrible,” he said.

Citing an example from his tenure as INEC chairman, Jega recalled, “I remember a case from the 2011 election where the legal challenge was not resolved until 2014. By then, the individual had spent years in the National Assembly enjoying the full benefits of office.”

He warned that without deliberate and urgent efforts to correct these failings, Nigeria’s democratic process and judicial system risk further loss of credibility.