Appeal Court President Swears In 375 Election Tribunal Judges Ahead Of 2027 General Elections
The President of the Court of Appeal, Monica Dongban-Mensem, on Monday, inaugurates 375 judges to serve on panels of election petitions tribunals across the country for the 2027 general elections.
At the inauguration which took place at the Body of Benchers Auditorium in Abuja, Justice Dongban-Mensem said 138 of the judges are returning members, and 237 will be serving on election petitions tribunals for the first time.
Ms Dongban-Mensem also admonished the election petition tribunal judges to take their jobs as a call to service.
“Resist every attempt at improper influence, whether through political pressure, inducement, intimidation, personal relationships or other considerations extraneous to the administration of justice,” she said.
The inauguration of the judicial officers took place during a three-day capacity-building workshop and a specialised training programme to prepare them for the election petition duties expected to take off after the next years elections. The workshop is themed, “Election Tribunal as a Tool for Political Stability.”
The Court of Appeal, which serves as the secretariat for election matters, also launched the Judicial Electoral Manual (JEM) 2026 during the workshop.
This comes ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled to take place across Nigeria on 16 January, and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections fixed for 6 February.
At the inauguration, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, urged them to uphold judicial independence and deliver impartial judgments in resolving electoral disputes.
Addressing the newly appointed tribunal members, Kekere-Ekun reminded them of their responsibility to dispense justice without fear or favour, stressing the need to resist political interference and remain faithful to their judicial oaths throughout the electoral process.
She identified the Presidential and National Assembly elections as scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls are fixed for February 6, 2027.
The CJN warned that the constitutional and statutory deadlines governing election petitions require strict compliance, urging tribunal judges to avoid unnecessary adjournments and ensure effective management of cases.
She also cautioned lawyers, political parties, media organisations and members of the public against conduct capable of undermining judicial proceedings, including the abuse of ex parte applications and online campaigns intended to influence pending cases or intimidate judges.
Kekere-Ekun stressed that credible electoral dispute resolution requires the cooperation of all stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and legal practitioners. However, she maintained that the Judiciary must remain focused on determining disputes based solely on the law and evidence presented before it.
Similarly, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, advised the judges to discharge their duties effectively, devoid of “sentiment, partisan interests, media scrutiny, social media buzzing or the expectations of influential individuals and groups.”
He urged them to avoid erroneous decisions because “it may take another four years to correct.”
Mr Fagbemi also applauded the selection and deployment of court registrars to serve as the registrars of the various election tribunals.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, highlighted the importance of election petition tribunals in maintaining public confidence in the electoral process and preventing political disagreements from escalating into wider crises.
Amupitan described the tribunals as essential constitutional mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes and reinforcing the rule of law.
He also drew attention to the growing complexities of election litigation, particularly the use of technology in the voting and result-management processes.
Amupitan noted that systems such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) have strengthened electoral transparency, but warned that emerging digital threats would require greater judicial awareness.
He specifically identified artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes and other forms of digital misinformation as challenges that could complicate electoral disputes and affect public confidence in election outcomes.
The workshop is expected to strengthen the capacity of judicial officers to handle election-related cases, interpret electoral laws and address emerging legal and technological issues ahead of the 2027 polls.
