The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has inaugurated 375 judges who will serve on Election Petition Tribunals ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The inauguration, held on Monday at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja, comes 68 days before the elections and is aimed at preparing the judiciary for the adjudication of electoral disputes that may arise across the country.

Speaking at the event, Justice Dongban-Mensem said the credibility of democracy depends not only on the conduct of elections but also on the existence of impartial, effective and timely mechanisms for resolving disputes.

She stressed that the judiciary plays a critical role in protecting the people’s mandate, upholding the Constitution and sustaining public confidence in democratic governance.

She disclosed that the 375 judges were drawn from various courts and judicial institutions across the country, with 138 having previous experience in election petition tribunals, while 237 are newly nominated.

The judges were urged to uphold fairness, integrity and professionalism, particularly as their conduct and decisions would attract considerable public scrutiny.