Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the present three-stage process tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court as inefficient, stressing that election matters should be resolved more quickly than expected.
He said this while speaking in Abuja at the 70th birthday and book launch of Senator Gbenga Daniel.
Jonathan said a specialised court would reduce delays and simplify the handling of political cases.
The former President recalled a past case where a governorship election was overturned due to a technical issue with the colour of ink used by voters, despite initial rulings supporting the validity of the votes.
He noted that while reforms have since allowed such cases to reach the Supreme Court, the overall litigation process remains unnecessarily prolonged.
He further made a case for system similar to those in some Francophone African countries, where constitutional courts handle electoral disputes in a single phase.
He appealed to the National Assembly to reform Nigeria’s electoral litigation process by creating a Constitutional Court to handle election matters.
Truth Live News Media reports that Goodluck Jonathan became President of Nigeria on
May 6, 2010, following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
He previously served as acting president from February 9, 2010, and was formally elected to a full term in 2011, serving until May 2015.
