Democracy is failing because of the judiciary

Nigeria’s democracy is failing because of the judiciary, not INEC :Peter Obi

The Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate for 2023, Peter Obi, claims that the court, not the electoral umpire, poses the greatest threat to the country’s democracy.

At the Godfrey Okoye University in Enugu, Obi made this statement while giving the keynote address for the fifth memorial service for the late Justice Anthony Aniagolu.

According to the former governor of Anambra, justice in Nigeria has been “commodified” and “goes to the highest bidder.”

“Although there are still a few exceptional judges in the judiciary today, there is an undeniable decline in our judicial system,” he stated.

“Nigeria’s future is seriously threatened by this downturn. Justice is being administered more and more like a commodity, favoring the highest bidder.

“In every discussion about democracy, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is blamed for the issue.

But the judiciary—rather than INEC—is the issue. The greatest danger facing Nigeria is the

judiciary. Our businesses will prosper if our judiciary is functioning effectively.

The weakest people of society suffer disproportionately when the rule of law is violated, and the foundation of our society starts to crumble.

The stability of our country, the preservation of human rights,

and the integrity of our institutions are all in danger.

The rule of law is a society’s most precious and intangible asset, and its protection and upkeep require unwavering effort on our part.

Above all, the pursuit of justice must be our first priority.

I emphasized the critical necessity to preserve the independence of our judiciary and advance the virtues of honesty, competence,

competency, compassion, and character among our legal profession and

political leadership in order to revitalize our legal system.

By doing this, we can make sure that justice and equity are upheld as we work to improve Nigeria for all.

Everything is allowed in Nigeria these days. There is hardly any judiciary and no rule of law. The absence of the rule of law could lead to the downfall of all individuals.

True justice in the courts has become elusive since it has become commercialized and dependent on one’s financial situation.

“The society suffers whenever there is a breakdown in the judiciary.”

Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) won the 2023 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes;

Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 6,984,520 votes; while Obi

polled third with 6,101,533 votes.

Obi and Abubakar disputed Tinubu’s election all the way to the highest court.

On October 26, 2023, Tinubu’s presidency was confirmed by the supreme court, which also dismissed the petitions of Abubakar and Obi.