Court Upholds Voter Rights Against INEC's Election Results

On February 25, 2023, the Abuja High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Kekemek, dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding a lawsuit that claimed the commission caused harm by allegedly falsifying election results during the 2023 general elections. The claimant, Dr.

Ephraim Obinna Okoy, argued that the discrepancies between the results uploaded on INEC's server and the actual results from polling units caused significant distress and trauma to voters. The court emphasized that Nigerian voters have the legal right to hold INEC accountable and insisted that votes must count.

The suit sought various reliefs, including a declaration that INEC must ensure the accurate transmission of results and a demand for damages totaling N150 million. The court ordered INEC to delete any falsified results from its server and publish the correct results from the polling units.