Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has stated that a key priority of his tenure will be to reduce pre-election litigations.

Amupitan spoke at the 56th yearly national conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) at the University of Abuja yesterday, saying that if political parties would adhere to their constitutions and fully comply with the Electoral Act, the number of pre-election litigations would decline drastically.

Also yesterday, Amupitan announced the appointment of the former Editor of The PUNCH newspaper, Mr Adedayo Oketola, as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS)

Amupitan, at the NALT event, said that towards reducing pre-election litigations, his leadership would emphasise the need for stronger internal party democracy, improved compliance with electoral guidelines, and early dispute resolution mechanisms to minimise such cases in future elections.

He called on the National Assembly to ensure that the country’s electoral legal frameworks were strengthened to guarantee credible and fair elections, adding, “My desire is that if we get the law right, even the losers will congratulate the winner. If we get it right, the number of electoral litigations will reduce, even before elections.

“Political parties, if they follow their constitution, they follow the Electoral Act and follow the Constitution, I can assure you, the pre-election jurisprudence, litigation alone with diminish, and so it’s going to be one of my top priorities to ensure that the law is used as a means of change to reduce the number of electoral jurisprudence, litigation”.

The three-day event, themed ‘Law, National Development and Economic Sustainability in a Globalised World,’ plays host to law teachers, jurists, policymakers, law students, and legal practitioners across the country.

Earlier, NALT President and Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Prof. John Akintayo, emphasised the pivotal role of law as an instrument for promoting inclusive growth, good governance, and economic resilience.

MEANWHILE, Amupitan appointed the former Editor of The PUNCH newspaper, Adedayo Oketola, as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to replace Rotimi Oyekanmi, who served in the same capacity under the immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Oketola’s appointment was announced to journalists by the commission yesterday. A multiple award-winning journalist and newsroom leader, Oketola brings to the Commission a rich blend of editorial excellence and professional experience spanning nearly two decades in the Nigerian media industry.

Oketola had earlier served as the News Editor and Business Editor of The PUNCH. He was the Assistant Editor of News & Politics, Saturday PUNCH, for three and a half years