Six aggrieved Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, its chairman, all INEC national commissioners; 177,606 polling officers, and Usman Alkali, Inspector General of Police, over the conduct of the just concluded controversial general election.

The suit,  which was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on March 25, was filed by Prof. Haruna Dabin, Joseph Enan, Joseph Inya Agha, Afeez Adeola Adeyeye, Lawrence Agi Oloko and Kuyembo Danjuma.

In the suit, the group demands that the defendants, “within 30 days of the service of this summons, inclusive of the day of such service, cause an appearance to be entered for them to this summons which is issued upon the application of the Applicants: Prof. Haruna Dabin & Ors.”

The group, like several other Nigerians and foreign observers at the 2023 general elections, questions INEC’s deliberate refusal to follow the electoral laws and its own set guideline for the election.

Recall that prior to the elections, Prof. Yakubu, on various indigenous and international platforms, repeatedly assured and reassured Nigerians and the international community that the 2022 electoral act (amended) will be strictly adhered to, adding that there will be real-time transmission of results from polling unit to its IReVportal and the Bimodal Verification and Accreditation System, BVAS, for accreditation would be used to eliminate over voting and ensure transparency and credible election. 

INEC also assured that all complaints from polling agents of parties will be reviewed and addressed before calling the results.

However, all the promises were breached as INEC vehemently refused to obey this guideline despite various calls from political parties’ watchdogs. 

The INEC chairman announced the result by 4 am early morning March 1 and advised the aggrieved party to go to court.

Many Nigerians with the exception of the winners were so disappointed that the mood of the nation which has been downcast was made worse by the violent March 18 governorship and State Assembly election which witnessed marked irregularities with connivance between the ruling party and compromised INEC officials, who dashed the hopes of voters who were disenfranchised while some were injured and many were shot dead in the fracas of an election that took place.

This suit has joined many other suits which have been filed against the process of the election which many have described as shambolic.