There is apprehension among leading opposition parties that the fortunes they made in the last general elections are being reversed by election tribunals across the country.

Over 150 NASS cases have already been decided out of about 552 reportedly filed, and they have been quite a number of upsets against opposition elements.

The election of about 23 House of Representatives members and three senators have been reversed so far.

Of the 23 Reps, the election of 18 were nullified while seven were referred for supplementary elections.

While the ruling APC had five of its candidates’ election cancelled, it affected 14 of the PDP, and six of the Labour Party, and two of the NNPP.

There are fears that the ruling party is throwing its weight around and influencing the outcomes of election cases with their resources.

Last week, Julius Abure of the LP raised the alarm that what they garnered in the elections were being gradually taken away from them by the courts.

Observers have expressed fears that the trend is not healthy for the nation’s democracy as they insinuate that these victories might have been through extraneous factors that could be far from fair and just.

One of the critics who believe that the ruling party could have been playing a fast game in the courts or tribunals is Barrister Onyinye-Ghandi Chukwunyere, the presidential spokesperson of Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate in the 2023 election.

Barrister Chukwuyere, an activist and human rights lawyer, said: “We’ve been very clear that the entire Nigerian system is hopelessly compromised.

“And you see the signs everywhere, especially in the judiciary where judgments no longer follow law and facts.

“The APC is not recovering losses. It is destroying what is left of the moral fabric of Nigerian society.

“The APC was roundly rejected by the Nigerian people at the polls. They rigged their way in and have continued that ringing at the tribunals.

“It is certainly a worrisome trend. But, we remain confident in the capacity of the Nigerian people to rid themselves of the APC rot in the coming weeks, months, or even years.”

However, Julius Adegunna, a media executive and analyst, while not agreeing with such insinuations, maintained that Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the fact that the ruling party is now in the hands of a seasoned political leader like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This development, he stressed, is unlike in the past when the party was controlled by a docile ruler like former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Adegunna, “Seriously speaking, Nigerians will soon know that Tinubu is not Buhari. Buhari, as a president, was most times apolitical, possibly satisfied and self-dignified by being there.

“But, Tinubu is far different. Tinubu will be interested roundly in all that concern him, his party and may be Nigerians.

“While Buhari did not care about what happened to others, Tinubu would like to oversee the affairs and welfare of his members.

“For me, I don’t think APC is recovering its lost grounds through the tribunals. I believe the judges know what should be right and they are doing their job.

“After all, it is not all gains for APC. They will also lose some, while they gain some. We should allow the tribunals, representing the judiciary, to do their jobs. That is the essence of democracy.”

Prof. John Ebhomien, an APC chieftain and a developmental economist, while sounding noncommittal over the insinuations, said: “The APC’s reported victories at the election tribunals is a wake-up call for the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), to put their houses in order.

“The PDP and LP had been embroiled in litigation among the factions. So, it is clear that a house divided against itself cannot stand in times of trouble.

“The losses by the major opposition parties were self-inflicted. To be honest, if you study the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal you will observe that the judges, in their wisdom and evidence presented before them, gave victory to APC.

“I advise Nigerians, irrespective of their parties, to join hands with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to move this country to an enviable level. This is the ideal thing to do and clarion’s call to everyone.”

Contributing, Dr Felix Nwosu, a cleric and public affairs commentator, stated: “In my view, it is not only the APC that has been cruising to victory through tribunal or court judgments.

“Other parties have also been getting favourable judgments too. For instance, a Labour Party (LP) Governor was removed by a tribunal and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate was given the victory in one of the states.

“But, truly speaking, the APC had a chunk of favourable rulings based on ‘facts’ before the courts by which they take their decisions.

“Judges are not lawyers that come to courts to tell what they regard as the ‘truths’ without proof. Such ‘truths’ cannot win a case, but ‘facts’ that have ‘proofs’.

“A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said as much in one of the television stations, to be precise Channels Television. He said judges are like stagnant oceans. But, the current that moves them are the lawyers and that you don’t win by truth, but by facts.

“Lawyers that do not have facts easily lose their cases in courts. Judges determine their judgments based on technicalities.

“That is what the ruling party is using against their opponents in the ongoing election tribunals in this dispensation and it is really favouring the ruling party this time around more than the other political parties.

“Therefore, it really appears like the APC is recovering its electoral losses in polls through election tribunal judgments now.

“If care is not taken, we will see more of this kind of judgment in subsequent cases pending in courts. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” (Sunday Independent)

Update news