RismadarVoice Reporters, April 2, 2026
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the National Assembly to establish a specialized Constitutional Court dedicated to handling election-related disputes in Nigeria.
Jonathan made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during the 70th birthday celebration and book launch of former Ogun State Governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel.
According to the former president, creating a dedicated court would streamline the adjudication of electoral matters, reduce the strain election litigation places on Nigeria’s political and judicial systems.
He criticized the current three-tier legal process for resolving governorship election disputes, which typically moves from the Election Petition Tribunal to the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court. Jonathan described the process as inefficient, suggested that Nigeria could draw lessons from several Francophone African countries where specialized courts handle constitutional and electoral matters more directly.
“A constitutional court that handles election matters will reduce the burden on the political system because disputes can be resolved in a single phase,” Jonathan said.
The former president also urged members of the judiciary to demonstrate firmness and impartiality in their rulings, emphasising the critical role judges play in maintaining democratic order.
Using a sports analogy to underscore his point, Jonathan compared the judiciary to referees in a football match.
“Politics is like soccer, and the judges are the referees. If the referee looks the other way, players will break legs or score with their hands,” he said, stressing that firm judicial oversight is necessary to prevent abuses in the political arena.
The event attracted several prominent political figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other political leaders were also in attendance to honour Senator Daniel.
