International records / OpenAlex research

Redefining the Burden of Proof in Nigeria Election Petitions: Lessons from Comparative Jurisdictions for Advancing Electoral Integrity

This paper examines the burden of proof in Nigerian election petitions through the lens of electoral integrity and democratic theory, with the aim of determining whether persistent public dissatisfaction with electoral adjudication stems from judicial failure or from structural deficiencies in the legal framework. Adopting a doctrinal and comparative research methodology, the study analyses constitutional provisions, the Evidence Act 2011, the Electoral Act 2022, and leading judicial decisions, complemented by comparative insights from Kenya, India, and the United States. The paper finds that …