The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a suit seeking compensation over alleged publication of falsified results from the 2023 general election.
Delivering ruling, Justice Peter Kekemeke held that Nigerians who participate in elections have the legal right to hold INEC accountable, stressing that their votes must count and be properly reflected.
He stated that the judiciary cannot remain passive in the face of alleged electoral irregularities, adding that accountability from government institutions becomes essential as society advances.
The suit was filed by Dr. Ephraim Obinna Okoye, who alleged that INEC uploaded a different result on its IReV portal from what was recorded at his polling unit, Finance Quarters Polling Unit in Wuye, Abuja, during the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
Okoye claimed the discrepancy caused him emotional distress after he spent hours voting and monitoring the collation process, only to discover a different result on INEC’s server.
In the suit marked CV/2910/2023, the claimant asked the court to declare that INEC owed voters a duty of care to ensure accurate transmission of results from polling units.
He further sought a declaration that the results uploaded for his polling unit were not the authentic results and requested an order directing INEC to remove the alleged false result and publish the correct Form EC8A.
Okoye also demanded ₦50 million in damages for emotional distress and an additional ₦100 million for time allegedly wasted due to the incident.
