Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Shares Insights on Recent Presidential Tribunal Judgments

Adegboruwa discusses the implications of the tribunal’s verdict and the role of INEC in Nigeria’s democracy.

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In a recent interview, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), shared his perspectives on the judgments delivered by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and their potential impact on Nigeria’s democracy.

Adegboruwa discussed various aspects of the tribunal’s decisions, particularly focusing on the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the burden of proof in election petitions.

When asked about his thoughts on the tribunal’s judgments, Adegboruwa expressed his anticipation of the outcomes, especially regarding issues related to the validity of nomination and the status of the Federal Capital Territory.

He noted that many of these issues had already been settled by the apex court in previous cases, making the tribunal’s decisions somewhat predictable for those closely following the proceedings.

However, Adegboruwa raised concerns about the tribunal’s stance on INEC’s conduct during the election. He believed that the tribunal missed an opportunity to hold INEC accountable for not fulfilling its promise to conduct electronic transmission of results. According to Adegboruwa, the failure to chastise INEC for not upholding transparency in the election process was a disservice to Nigeria’s electoral system. He hoped that the Supreme Court would rectify this in the future.

Adegboruwa acknowledged the difficulty faced by petitioners in proving electoral irregularities and argued that the burden of proof should rest more heavily on INEC rather than the petitioners. He believed that petitioners were handicapped by the lack of access to the materials and evidence held by INEC, which made it challenging to overturn an election result.

Regarding the chances of the petitioners in the Supreme Court, Adegboruwa believed that the facts presented by the petitioners were irrelevant to the tribunal’s decisions. He suggested that future election petitions should focus primarily on legal points, isolating the key legal issues for determination. He believed that concentrating on the legal aspects would simplify the process and reduce tension during election disputes.

Adegboruwa concluded by emphasizing the importance of electoral reforms and the need to unbundle and make INEC truly independent. He advocated for separating INEC from the presidency to ensure that it operates without fear or intimidation from politicians.

In sum, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, provided valuable insights into the recent presidential tribunal judgments and offered suggestions for strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system and democracy.