Following the successful conduct of Nigerian general elections in April, 2011, the winners in the polls have assumed their respective offices. The inauguration ceremonies which were held simultaneously in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on 29^th May, 2011 marked the inception of a new democratic dispensation and the conclusion of a third successive transition to democratic government in the Country.

The Nigerian April, 2011 polls have been widely adjudged the most transparent and credible in the history of the nation, even though it is not by any means a perfect one in light of a few snags that were recorded in the course of the exercise in some parts of the country.

Meanwhile, election tribunals constituted to adjudicate electoral disputes have since commenced sittings all over the country. Going by its antecedents, it is believed that the tribunals will do justice in determining the merits of the petitions filed by defeated political parties and candidates contesting the results of elections.

Perhaps one aspect of the electoral reforms which is yet to be achieved is the determination of all electoral petitions before the swearing in of the announced winners of the elections. In the last dispensation, several Senators, House of representative members and Governors who rigged their ways to power had spent periods ranging between 1 to 3 years in office before the validity of their mandate could be finally determined. A situation whereby overambitious politicians illegitimately seize power by engaging in electoral malpractices and get to hold on to same for three (3) years before justice catches up with them should no longer be allowed.

Considering the fact that a good number of the candidates who lost in the election have accepted their defeats in good faith, there is the likelihood that the tribunals may not have so many petitions to entertain this time around, it is therefore expected that the Nigerian Judiciary acting through election tribunals will once again rise up to the challenge and ensure that electoral proceedings do not become unnecessarily protracted as justice delay is justice denied.

The success story of the 2011 national polls in Nigeria is not just attributable to good leadership and heroic exploits of the Independent National Electoral Commission as well as other government agencies that participated in the elections but largely to Nigerians who demonstrated patriotism and resilience by participating in the elections and spending the whole day at polling booths, on each election day, to protect their votes, in a bid to ensure that democracy triumphs.

The new political office holders, especially, The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, are no doubt, indebted to the good people of Nigerian whose majority votes brought them to power. One can only hope that they would make good their promises on the campaign trail and that each and every one of them would be able to give good account of the peoples’ mandate at the end of their tenure.

Following the successful conduct of Nigerian general elections in April, 2011, the winners in the polls have assumed their respective offices. The inauguration ceremonies which were held simultaneously in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on 29^th May, 2011 marked the inception of a new democratic dispensation and the conclusion of a third successive transition to democratic government in the Country.

The Nigerian April, 2011 polls have been widely adjudged the most transparent and credible in the history of the nation, even though it is not by any means a perfect one in light of a few snags that were recorded in the course of the exercise in some parts of the country.

Meanwhile, election tribunals constituted to adjudicate electoral disputes have since commenced sittings all over the country. Going by its antecedents, it is believed that the tribunals will do justice in determining the merits of the petitions filed by defeated political parties and candidates contesting the results of elections.

Perhaps one aspect of the electoral reforms which is yet to be achieved is the determination of all electoral petitions before the swearing in of the announced winners of the elections. In the last dispensation, several Senators, House of representative members and Governors who rigged their ways to power had spent periods ranging between 1 to 3 years in office before the validity of their mandate could be finally determined. A situation whereby overambitious politicians illegitimately seize power by engaging in electoral malpractices and get to hold on to same for three (3) years before justice catches up with them should no longer be allowed.

Considering the fact that a good number of the candidates who lost in the election have accepted their defeats in good faith, there is the likelihood that the tribunals may not have so many petitions to entertain this time around, it is therefore expected that the Nigerian Judiciary acting through election tribunals will once again rise up to the challenge and ensure that electoral proceedings do not become unnecessarily protracted as justice delay is justice denied.

The success story of the 2011 national polls in Nigeria is not just attributable to good leadership and heroic exploits of the Independent National Electoral Commission as well as other government agencies that participated in the elections but largely to Nigerians who demonstrated patriotism and resilience by participating in the elections and spending the whole day at polling booths, on each election day, to protect their votes, in a bid to ensure that democracy triumphs.

The new political office holders, especially, The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, are no doubt, indebted to the good people of Nigerian whose majority votes brought them to power. One can only hope that they would make good their promises on the campaign trail and that each and every one of them would be able to give good account of the peoples’ mandate at the end of their tenure.

Following the successful conduct of Nigerian general elections in April, 2011, the winners in the polls have assumed their respective offices. The inauguration ceremonies which were held simultaneously in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on 29^th May, 2011 marked the inception of a new democratic dispensation and the conclusion of a third successive transition to democratic government in the Country.

The Nigerian April, 2011 polls have been widely adjudged the most transparent and credible in the history of the nation, even though it is not by any means a perfect one in light of a few snags that were recorded in the course of the exercise in some parts of the country.

Meanwhile, election tribunals constituted to adjudicate electoral disputes have since commenced sittings all over the country. Going by its antecedents, it is believed that the tribunals will do justice in determining the merits of the petitions filed by defeated political parties and candidates contesting the results of elections.

Perhaps one aspect of the electoral reforms which is yet to be achieved is the determination of all electoral petitions before the swearing in of the announced winners of the elections. In the last dispensation, several Senators, House of representative members and Governors who rigged their ways to power had spent periods ranging between 1 to 3 years in office before the validity of their mandate could be finally determined. A situation whereby overambitious politicians illegitimately seize power by engaging in electoral malpractices and get to hold on to same for three (3) years before justice catches up with them should no longer be allowed.

Considering the fact that a good number of the candidates who lost in the election have accepted their defeats in good faith, there is the likelihood that the tribunals may not have so many petitions to entertain this time around, it is therefore expected that the Nigerian Judiciary acting through election tribunals will once again rise up to the challenge and ensure that electoral proceedings do not become unnecessarily protracted as justice delay is justice denied.

The success story of the 2011 national polls in Nigeria is not just attributable to good leadership and heroic exploits of the Independent National Electoral Commission as well as other government agencies that participated in the elections but largely to Nigerians who demonstrated patriotism and resilience by participating in the elections and spending the whole day at polling booths, on each election day, to protect their votes, in a bid to ensure that democracy triumphs.

The new political office holders, especially, The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, are no doubt, indebted to the good people of Nigerian whose majority votes brought them to power. One can only hope that they would make good their promises on the campaign trail and that each and every one of them would be able to give good account of the peoples’ mandate at the end of their tenure.

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