ELECTORAL TRIBUNALS AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA: INTERROGATING THE 2019 POST ELECTION LITIGATIONS IN IMO STATE

Abstract

The judiciary is one of the important institutions of government that constitutes the spice that help the meals of democracy to be tasty. Over time, the judiciary in Nigeria has made strides in its effort to ensure the deepening or consolidation of democracy especially in the Fourth Republic which started on 29th May, 1999. However, the recent litigations that throw up judiciary decisions from the Supreme Court tend to be generating so much arguments from individuals as to whether the judiciary could continue to be the hope of a common man. This paper therefore, attempt to bridge this gap by looking at the critical issues from the 2019 post-election litigations of the Supreme Court. The paper adopted the documentary method of data collection and utilizes secondary sources. This paper by employing the theory of post-colonial state argues that the very relative autonomy and lack of independent of the judiciary especially in the appointment of CJN and other judicial official account for the perennial controversy associated with the outcome of the 2019 post-election litigations in Nigeria. The paper recommends among others; that for the judiciary to be truly independent appointment of CJN and other judicial officers should be done by NJC to avoid interference or influence from other arms on matters of judicial prerogative to reflect that the Judicial is actually the last hope of a common man.