Nigerian lawyer, Okere Kingdom has expressed shock over what he described as a disturbing development in the nation’s electoral process.
Speaking in an interview on Signature TV, the legal practitioner said he was bewildered when he came across a report indicating that the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared a prison inmate winner of a rerun election.
Okere narrated that the situation came to his attention unexpectedly. “I don’t know how exactly, I just stumbled into the news and saw how INEC declared a prison inmate winner of rerun election based on the tribunal having nullified the election and ordered a rerun election,” he said.
The lawyer noted that such a scenario raises serious constitutional and legal concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process. He questioned how an individual who is in lawful custody could be permitted to contest, let alone be declared winner of an election, stressing that it undermines both the electoral system and the rule of law.
Observers have also begun to query the role of INEC in the development, with many insisting that the Commission has a duty to vet candidates thoroughly before allowing their names on the ballot. According to Okere, the matter requires urgent clarification, not only to preserve the integrity of the electoral body but also to reassure Nigerians that the system is not sliding into ridicule.
He urged civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association and other stakeholders to step in and ensure that loopholes in the electoral process are addressed. The lawyer warned that if left unchecked, such irregularities could set a dangerous precedent for future elections.
