EU, ECOWAS Reports On Nigerian Elections Have No Judicial Value – Judge

A senior Judge on Wednesday ruled that the reports of the European Union (EU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are valueless and inadmissible in Nigerian court, despite accrediting their delegations to observe elections.

An Appeal Court Judge, Moses Ugo stated this while reading his ruling as a member of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

Naija News had earlier reported that the five-member panel on the PEPC on Wednesday dismissed the petitions filed against the victory of President Bola Tinubu.

Ugo on Wednesday revealed why the EU and ECOWAS reports which criticized parts of the 2023 presidential election were inadmissible in court.

He said, “The EUEOM report on the 2023 presidential elections and I dare to add even the ECOWAS report of the same elections tendered by second and third respondents is completely valueless and inadmissible.”

The EU-EOM, in its final report on the 2023 presidential poll, said though the elections showed the commitment of Nigerians to democracy, it also exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signalled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.

Ugo in his ruling said the EU report tendered by both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was inadmissible since the makers of the report did not present themselves in court to face cross-examination to authenticate their opinions.

The Judge ruled, “The impression given by both petitioners is that the said report is like the gospel truth of what happened in the election and so must be accepted by this court and the conduct of the presidential election declared corrupt or at the very least declared below par regardless of whether or not the authors of the said report presented themselves in court to defend their opinions.”