Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Wole Olanipekun has criticised Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 which empowered the returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission to return a candidate and also review his decision.

Olanipekun, who said that the act is dangerous to the polity and democracy, said “the returning officer is not a court of law, not a tribunal, and is not vested with jurisdiction to assume jurisdiction over any matter that is judicial in nature.”

Olanipekun, who said he was not aware of any similar section in any previous Electoral Act expressed surprise that the National Assembly allowed that section to creep into the Electoral Act, which they submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for signing.

The legal luminary, also said the National Assembly could still remove the provision, called on all stakeholders to monitor INEC and the returning officers so that nothing untoward happens to any party or candidate returning to be revised.