- Says let Nigerian voters decide!
The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, has raised serious concerns about the growing “judicialisation” of political competition ahead of the 2027 elections, cautioning that judicial overreach remains a potent threat to Nigeria’s Democracy if it continues unabated
Itodo, who was reacting to the court ruling sacking the Senator David Mark-led National Executive of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, noted that while the courts have a constitutional responsibility to resolve political disputes, people must be concerned about the increasing use of litigation to determine who can participate in elections.
Though he cautioned against people concluding that the judgment was part of a deliberate plot to silence the opposition without concrete evidence, Itodo warned that the cumulative effect of such legal battles could narrow political competition and limit voters’ choices.
“I would hesitate to conclude that this judgement is part of a deliberate plot to muzzle the opposition without concrete evidence. However, the cumulative effect of these legal battles is the shrinking of political competition and the restriction of voter choice,” he said.
However, expressing further concerns, Itodo said, “My greatest concern is that we are gradually shifting the contest for political power from the ballot box to the courtroom. The courts must protect democratic competition, not become instruments for eliminating political alternatives before Nigerians cast their votes.”
Parties Abusing Internal Processes – Prof Murtala
In his intervention, a Kano-based political analyst and National Vice-President of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), Professor Murtala Muhammad, said the judgement raises fundamental questions about constitutionalism, institutional discipline and the future of multiparty democracy in Nigeria.
According to him, the controversy surrounding the ADC leadership is not an isolated case, noting that party crises have become a recurring feature across the country’s political landscape, even as he maintained that democratic governance cannot thrive when political parties themselves fail to operate within the tenets of democratic principles.
He said in many political parties, internal elections are either not conducted in a democratic manner or established procedures and protocols are not strictly followed, noting that although the judiciary has a constitutional responsibility to resolve political disputes, the increasing reliance on litigation to determine who participates in elections poses a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
