Aisha Yesufu
The reason many Nigerian politicians tell opponents after an election to ‘go to court’, is that they are confident of victory at the court, Aisha Yesufu, human rights activist, claimed on Sunday.
Challenging the outcome of an election has always been a norm in Nigeria, just like the declaration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, victorious in the February 25, 2023 presidential polls currently being challenged at the Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) by the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi and his counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, the country has only recorded a few cases of a sitting politician losing the result being challenged in court.
In a post via Twitter on Sunday, Aisha Yesufu recalled how the Supreme Court declared that the Card Reader Machines deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2015 election were not admissible in court.
Aisha pointed out that many corrupt politicians continued to tell opponents to go to court after an election because they could influence the judiciary in their favour.
Tweeted She: “In 2015, the Supreme Court declared that Card Reader is not admissible in the court and that took our democracy back.
“Many corrupt politicians continue to stay in office because they have the judiciary in their pockets. They boast and tell opponents to ‘Go to court’”.
