H0T: Ex-INEC Commissioner Reveals Cause Of Imo Attacks | READ IN FULL

According to Olurode, the Supreme Court' ruling of January 2020, provoked the attacks on some INEC offices in the state.

He blamed the courtroom and its lordship who tries to take over the position of the electorates, adding that the ballot box is an expression of the popular will of the people and should remain respected.

Olurode said, 'having judges decide a governor cannot be taken to be synonymous with the expression of popular will through the ballot box'.

Speaking on Wednesday, June 2 while featuring on PUNCH Online interview programme, The Round-Table, Olurode maintained that a fresh election should be ordered in a case of uncertainty other than annulling the popular wish of the people.

"Attacks on INEC buildings could not be taken as an anti-democratic move or expression of lack of support for our democratization project. One must be able to make a distinction.

"In some of the states where this has happened, there have been some elements that are disgruntled, social discontent has been heightened and they are just looking for a symbol of democracy that they could attack just to communicate their grievances that could not have been communicated otherwise.

"It is unfortunate that they have chosen that symbol for attack which may appear as if Nigerians are tired of democratization but that is exactly not what is being expressed.

"If you look at Imo State, for example, I think they are trying to communicate certain grievances that what they have in the state is a kind of judicial victory and legitimacy is still outstanding and there is no correspondence between judicial victory and legitimacy which is majority of the people expressing their preference for political parties. Having judges decide a governor cannot be taken to be synonymous with the expression of popular will through the ballot box. The ballot box should remain sacrosanct.

"There is no way the courtroom and their lordship can take the position of the electorate; it is antithetical, it is not going to work because the ballot box is an expression of the popular will of the people.

"In India, they have warned that the court should not take over the role of the electorate, it is antithetical, it is obnoxious. It is like annulling the will of the people. People will look for other means of expression, it is not that it is good because it is like returning to the law of the jungle which should not be allowed but when the court annuls the popular will of the people, this is going to create its own effect which may be damaging.

"The judiciary can only sit down and make rulings when there is peace but when there is no peace, nobody can do anything and that is why the clamor for peace should be the primary goal. So, an election should mediate conflict and not provoke conflict. We had the same thing in 1983, Ondo State burnt. The court should not assume the role of the voters.

"We can order a fresh election if we are not sure of what to do rather than now annulling the popular wish of the peopleÔÇØ Olurode advised.