The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has expressed concern over the involvement of law courts in electoral matters that should have been handled by election petition tribunals.
The group said the interference of the courts in post-election matters weakens the credibility of the process.
Convener of Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo, stated this at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, ahead of the March 23 supplementary elections in some states of the Federation.
The group was reacting to the restraining orders by courts on the collation of results in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in the Bauchi governorship election as well as the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State.
“Situation Room will like to express concern about the emerging trend of escalating judicial involvement in what should ordinarily be matters outside the purview of the courts across the country. The courts have gotten involved in electoral litigations and disputations in a manner that weakens the credibility of our electoral system issuing perplexing orders and injunctions that constrains INECs ability to fulfil its constitutional functions of conducting elections.
“Situation Room is worried about this trend and its potential of impugning and damaging respect for the courts and justice system in Nigeria as well as derogating on the credibility of elections. Situation Room calls on the courts in the country including the National Judicial Council (NJC) to act on stopping this,” he said.
According to him, Situation Room will deploy observers to the Polling Units where supplementary elections will hold. They include: Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau, Sokoto as well as the Area Council elections in Abuja.
While calling on political parties and their candidates in the supplementary elections to avoid electoral malpractices, Nwankwo stressed the need for security agencies to be non-partisan and professional in their conduct during the polls.
He also urged voters in the areas where the supplementary elections will hold to come out and freely exercise their franchise.
