Falana also noted that Nigeria has a long way to go in terms of ensuring that elections are credible
By Kehinde Okeowo
Popular human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, has said it is abnormal for the Supreme Court to determine the winner of presidential elections.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who was saddled with the responsibility should decide winners of elections in Nigeria and not the judiciary.
Falana made this known on Friday night, while featuring on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today.
His comments come a day after President Bola Tinubu’s victory at the February 25 presidential poll was re-confirmed by the Supreme Court, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice John Okoro and concurred to by the six other Justices on the panel.
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The Justices dismissed for lacking merit, all the grounds of appeal by Atiku, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
Speaking on the verdict during the chat, Falana noted that Nigeria has a long way to go in terms of ensuring that elections are devoid of acrimony, and
credible.
He said: “No doubt, the judgement of the Supreme Court ascended the electoral contestation as far as the presidential election conducted in February this year is concerned, but for sure, it is not a judicial endorsement of the conduct of the election by INEC.
“What I mean is that, even with the judgement, it is very clear that Nigeria has a long way to go in terms of ensuring that credible elections are conducted, elections that will be devoid of acrimony, elections that all of us will be proud of, but we are still a long way from there even with the judgement.
“Yes, for now, the presidential election is concluded; it should have been concluded in February, but it has just been concluded by the Supreme Court and it should not be so. The judiciary should not determine the winners of elections.”