The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is yet to receive certified true copies of recent Federal High Court judgments nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, under David Mark and ordering the submission of President Bola Tinubu’s academic credentials.
Professor Joash Amupitan, the chairman of the commission, disclosed this while responding to questions on the court pronouncements, insisting that the commission would not act on information circulating on social media.
He said the commission relied on officially transmitted court documents and legal advice before taking decisions on matters affecting its operations.
“As of today, I have not received a certified true copy of the judgment of the Federal High Court because we don’t just act on the basis of what is on social media,” he said.
He recalled an incident involving a Supreme Court judgment in which information circulated on social media was later disowned by the apex court, prompting investigations.
The INEC chairman explained that once a judgment was formally received, it would first be forwarded to him before being referred to the relevant department for legal and expert advice.
“Normally, when we receive a judgment like that, it comes to the commission, first to the chairman, who asks for expert advice from the relevant department before it is taken to the commission for review,” he said.
On the court order concerning the submission of Tinubu’s academic credentials, Mr Amupitan said he had yet to receive the order and would determine the appropriate legal steps after being formally served.
“I have not received the order. So, when I receive the order, I will look at what the order says and then know what to do accordingly,” he stated.
The INEC chairman also addressed calls for the introduction of early voting for journalists, security personnel and commission officials who may be unable to vote on election day because of their official duties.
He said the commission had proposed the introduction of early voting during the process of amending the Electoral Act but the proposal did not receive the support of the National Assembly.
“INEC initiated the process for early voting as part of the amendment of the Electoral Act, but it did not find support from the National Assembly to make provisions relating to early voting.
“So, this is still not known to our law, but it’s going to still be a process of advocacy to ensure that this is done,” he said.
Mr Amupitan also confirmed that the 54 registration officers recently indicted over alleged sabotage of voter registration procedures were full-time employees of the commission.
He said INEC would not shield any staff member found culpable of wrongdoing, stressing that the commission remained committed to protecting the integrity of the voter registration process.
