Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has described the use of consensus by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to determine governorship primaries, especially in Ogun State, as “extortion” and “plutocracy” that subverts democracy.

Falana spoke on Thursday at the 8th Penpushing Annual Lecture held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, themed“Restoring Electoral Integrity: The Path to Good Governance and Public Accountability.”

He argued that transparent party primaries are a prerequisite for electoral integrity.

“Please, let us stop fooling ourselves. If you are going to talk about electoral integrity, you have to start with the primaries,” he said.

He said consensus arrangements deny party members the right to freely choose their candidates, despite the fact that the Electoral Act allows both direct and consensus methods.

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The SAN also expressed concern over what he termed increasing threats to Nigeria’s multi-party system, warning that deregistration of political parties and preventing others from elections could lead to political crisis.

“Political exclusion has historically emboldened undemocratic forces to undermine democratic institutions across Africa,” Falana said.

He also condemned the monetisation of politics, citing the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who alleged that some governorship aspirants spent between N20 billion and N30 billion during primaries.

“If you are spending between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion on a primary, how much are you going to spend in the real election?” he asked.

Falana said such huge sums could not have come from legitimate sources, and that the practice promotes corruption and weakens democracy.

He called for urgent reforms to strengthen internal party democracy, check the commercialisation of politics and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.

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The National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Dan Nwanyanwu, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of President Bola Tinubu, of planning to manipulate the 2027 election.

Nwanyanwu reportedly made the allegation during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.

He promised that the opposition would fight hard against the ruling party in the elections.

He also dismissed assertions that the result of the 2027 presidential election is already predetermined.

“I think they want to write results. We are ready; we will give them the pen and paper to write the results. We’re not going anywhere, we’re staying in this country. This election is going to be a competitive one. “It’s not finished,” Nwanyanwu said.

His comments come as political activity has increased as the general election of 2027 approaches, with major political parties accelerating preparations and forming alliances.

He cautioned Tinubu against what he described as overzealous political manoeuvres by some of the President’s supporters, which he warned could damage the public image of the Nigerian leader ahead of the 2027 general election.

Nwanyanwu observed that some persons claiming to support the President are practising acts that alienate the people and diminish the support for Tinubu.

“I think President Tinubu should be careful of some people that claim to be his supporters. “Their over-enthusiasm is turning people off him,” he said.

The presidential aspirant said some of Tinubu’s supporters are jeopardising his chances for re-election by distancing themselves from Nigerians who previously supported him.

“I am not in a position to advise him since I am also vying for that position but this situation is making him quite unpopular,” he said.

“There are also people who initially supported Tinubu because of his leadership but have since withdrawn their support due to the company he keeps.”

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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, has expressed confidence that the party will win the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election, pointing to Governor Abiodun Oyebanji’s performance and the people’s massive support.

Yilwatda stated this in a post on X on Tuesday after attending the APC mega rally in Ekiti State with the Vice President Kashim Shettima, members of the National Working Committee, governors and other party leaders.

He said the large turnout at the rally was indicative of the governor’s popularity and acceptance across the state, adding that the residents were eager to reward him with another term in office.

The APC chairman said that Oyebanji had justified the trust reposed in him by the people, through the construction and rehabilitation of roads, investments in education and policies aimed at improving human capital development.

The administration’s accomplishments, he added, were visible throughout the state, and had won the governor the confidence and support of the voters.

Yilwatda said he was optimistic that the APC would win the election, saying the expected outcome was because of the governor’s record in office and the support of Ekiti residents.

Governor Oyebanji has lived up to the confidence reposed on him by the people. During his administration, vital roads have been built and rehabilitated, opening up communities and facilitating economic activities.

“His government has made substantial investments in education and human capital development to create an enabling environment for students to learn and excel.

“Everywhere you turn in Ekiti today, you see evidence of good governance. The people know what Governor Oyebanji has done and they are proud of his achievements. “That is why thousands have voluntarily come out to show their support and reaffirm their confidence in his leadership,” Yilwatda said.

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The lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State at the of the House of Representatives, Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, has said President Bola Tinubu is inviting anarchy to Nigeria.

Ugochinyere, who made the statement on Monday, was reacting to the recent judgment of the Federal High Court ordering the de-registration of African Democratic Congress, ADC; Action Peoples Party, APP; and three other political parties.

He cautioned that the ruling could take the country down a dangerous path reminiscent of periods of political instability in Nigeria and parts of Africa.

The Imo-born politician called on the National Judicial Council, NJC, to probe the circumstances that led to the judgment.

He also said that previous court rulings and legal arguments made before the court were not properly taken into account.

He urged the Nigerian Bar Association, NBAm, to safeguard the integrity of the judicial process, warning that the public confidence in the justice system could be eroded if the concerns raised about the judgment were not properly addressed.

“This is a call to unbridled anarchy. The judiciary is the last hope for the common man. “If we can disregard the decisions of superior courts, we are compromising one of the most important institutions of our democracy,” he said.

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Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has kicked against the deregistration of some political parties by a Federal High Court.

He described the development as a challenge to public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic and judicial institutions.

Obi, in a statement on his X handle, warned against what he called the growing politicisation of institutions that are supposed to be independent and insulated from political influence.

Reacting to the court ruling deregistering some political parties including the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Obi said nations thrive when institutions are stronger than individuals and politics.

He said the judgment of the Federal High Court ordering the de-registration of the ADC and other political parties would further undermine the confidence of the public in the country’s legal system and called for a reversal.

“We can never put our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. “Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals,” he said.

He recalled raising concerns during the controversy that followed the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.

And the worst damage such actions did was often the impression they created of the sanctity and independence of national institutions, he said.

His case is that strong economies are built on trust. Investors can cope with security, policy and market risks, but they are often put off by uncertainty in the rule of law and perceptions of judicial intervention.

“Today, many Nigerians do not have confidence in the systems that are supposed to protect them, because increasingly, businesses insist that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have more confidence in those institutions than in our own.”

He vowed to dedicate himself to restoring the dignity, independence and integrity of the judiciary, stressing that justice should be impartial, accessible and respected by all citizens.

He also appealed to the judges, senior advocates, lawyers and other legal professionals to defend the rule of law and strengthen the democratic institutions in the country.

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Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned a Federal High Court ruling that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party and four others, describing the judgment as part of a wider plan to weaken democracy in Nigeria.

Reacting in a statement issued on X by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku alleged that the judgment is a reflection of what he called “judicial rascality” and a deliberate effort to tilt the political system towards a one-party structure.
He argued that the court ruling is part of a wider political agenda to muzzle opposition parties before the 2027 general elections.

There are already legal restraints on the matter including a pending appeal and a subsisting order of stay of action from the Court of Appeal which should have stopped further proceedings at the lower court.

Atiku argued that the judgment was delivered in disregard of appellate court directives, describing it as a serious threat to democratic norms and institutional order.
The so-called deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, among other parties, by Justice Peter Lifu may yet be the biggest manifestation of a bid to undermine the opposition and entrench a de facto one-party state. “The judgment is the epitome of judicial rascality,” the statement reads.

He also cited a Court of Appeal order in Appeal CA/ABJ/CV/569/2026 and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025 which, according to him, directed the trial court to stay further action pending the determination of the appeal.

Atiku said the appellate court had fixed October 27, 2026, for hearing, saying the lower court knew of the directive but went ahead.

He accused the ruling establishment of trying to manipulate the judiciary in a bid to silence opposition voices and consolidate political dominance ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“The court order of 22 May 2026 was very clear. “Nigerians and the international community can see the level of desperation to either win the 2027 elections at all cost or destroy our democracy,” he added.

The former vice president stated that the ADC and other affected parties are still committed to exploring all available legal options to challenge the judgment and safeguard Nigeria’s multi-party democratic system.

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Most of the recently concluded primary elections across various political parties were fraudulent, the Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, has said.

Amadi made this known in an interview on Arise Television, saying the results increased internal conflicts and weakened party leadership.

He said the parties do not have enough strength to discipline aspirants and members.

“Most of the party primaries were fraudulent. Some of the aspirants for the House of Representatives were also favored by zoning but somehow they don’t get into the list, so governors’ influence matters.

“Again, if you look at the chaos in the parties’ organization, new entrants come in and push out old members. For example in Delta State where the former governor, Ifeanyi Okowa came in to unseat Ned Nwoko.

“It’s not that Nwoko and the likes of him didn’t perform, but some structural changes have dislocated them,” he said.

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Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), said the 1979 Constitution was adopted with amendments in 1999 to prevent military “hawks’’ from stalling Nigeria’s return to democracy after the death of General Sani Abacha.

In his autobiography, Call of Duty, he wrote of how some officers wanted a long transition that could have kept the military in power for years under the guise of writing a new constitution.

He said he made it his priority to get out of military rule quickly after he took office on June 8, 1998, after the death of Abacha.
“I thought that the longer the Military stayed in power after Abacha’s death, the more unlikely a credible transition to democracy would be,” he said.

Some of the military officers had tasted political power and were not too willing to give it up. “If I prolong the transition programme under the desire to have a perfect democracy with a perfect Constitution, I would be only giving space to the hawks in the Military to hang on to power.

He said: “I could not even rule out the possibility of a coup along the line by officers who did not want the Military to quit. For me the earlier we left the better for the democratisation project.

Abdulsalami said one option was to start the transition all over again, which could have prolonged military rule until 2001.

“This was the choice of those who wanted the Military to remain longer. It would give us time by allowing a public debate for one year, creating a conference that would sit for another one year to write a new constitution and then releasing a timetable that would run for another year,” he said.
But he rejected the option, saying there was no “perfect” moment for democracy.

“Democracy is not made in a day. “Plant the seed and if the players are willing to water it, it will continue to grow.”

He also rejected the continued use of Abacha’s transition plan, saying the political parties lacked credibility.

“The five political parties, which the late Chief Bola Ige famously described as the ‘five fingers of a leprous hand’, had no credibility. “They were seen as toys in the hands of Abacha,” he said.

A proposal for an interim government was also rejected following the collapse of a similar arrangement in 1993.

On constitutional choice, Abdulsalami said a 25-member committee headed by Justice Niki Tobi recommended retention of the 1979 Constitution with amendments instead of the 1995 draft.

“I must confess, this was a welcome relief to me,” he said.

“For someone who wanted to get the transition programme done with as quickly as possible, I was quite comfortable with adopting the 1979 Constitution.”

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On the occasion of Nigeria’s 27 years of uninterrupted democratic governance, the Nigerian Government has reiterated its commitment to deepening democracy, strengthening institutions and promoting national cohesion.

This was disclosed at a Democracy Day Public Lecture in Abuja, where stakeholders and policy experts reflected on the country’s democratic journey, achievements, challenges and future prospects.

Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who represented Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the occasion gave Nigerians an opportunity to celebrate democratic gains while critically examining the nation’s progress since the return to civil rule in 1999.

He said Nigeria’s democratic journey has been a story of resilience and determination in the face of many challenges.

“Nigeria has decisively returned to democratic governance since 29 May 1999. “The most important thing I’ve learned from this journey is that it’s been a journey of resilience and determination,” he said.

The country had successfully conducted eight successive general elections and witnessed peaceful transfers of power across political parties and regions, he said describing the development as evidence of the growing maturity of Nigeria’s democracy.

“The gains of democracy, the freedom of choice to vote and be voted for, are priceless. He noted that we must continue to strengthen our institutions and ensure that democracy brings benefits to all Nigerians.

The SGF also stressed the need for national unity and cautioned against ethnic, religious and regional divisions.

The foundations of our democracy should not be eroded by ethnic religious or regional fault lines. “National cohesion is vital to our survival and development as a democracy.”

Professor Ayo Omotayo, the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), who delivered the keynote lecture, titled ‘Twenty-Seven Years of Democratic Governance in Nigeria: Achievements, Challenges and the Road Ahead’, described June 12 as a watershed moment in the country’s democratic history. As we pay tribute to the heroes of the June 12 struggle, particularly the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola and other pro-democracy activists who sacrificed for the restoration of democratic governance.

“Democracy Day is more than a holiday. It’s a sober reminder of the sacrifices made by brave Nigerians who believed that the destiny of this nation should be decided through the ballot box, not the gun,” Omotayo said.

Some of the achievements listed by the Director-General of NIPSS since 1999 include, stronger democratic institutions, broader civic engagement, economic reforms, technological progress and increased global acknowledgement for Nigeria.

For him, one of the biggest landmarks was the peaceful change of power between political parties at the federal level in 2015.

He emphasized that “the transfer of power from one political party to another is still one of the strongest indicators of the growing maturity of our democratic system.”

Professor Omotayo also praised the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, stating that technology had become a key driver of innovation, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.

One of the great accomplishments of democratic governance is the rise of the digital economy. “Young Nigerians are using technology more and more to establish businesses, create jobs and spur innovation,” the NIPSS Director-General said.

Despite these advances, insecurity, unemployment, poverty, corruption and social divisions were key challenges facing the country’s democratic development, he said.

“Democracy must ultimately be judged not just by the conduct of elections, but by its capacity to improve the welfare and well-being of citizens. “There is much work to be done in this regard,” he pointed out.

Professor Omotayo also called for more investment in youth development, education, technology, institutional reforms and inclusive economic growth so that democracy would translate into better living standards for the citizens.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, also emphasized the importance of trust in democratic governance.

Democracy, she said, was a system based on accountability, inclusion, service delivery and citizen participation.

“Democracy is far more than elections. It is about service, accountability, inclusion, justice, participation and the continuous improvement of the lives of citizens,” she said.

For that, public institutions have to work hard to earn the trust of citizens through transparency, fairness and effective service delivery, Walson-Jack said.

“When government earns trust by being fair, transparent, consistent and delivering results, democracy becomes stronger and more meaningful,” she said.

She re-echoed the commitment of the Federal Civil Service towards national development through innovation, digital transformation, performance management and ethical leadership.

The event had in attendance Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammad Idris and his counterparts, Minister of Livestock, Minister of Budget and National Planning, alongside Permanent Secretaries and Director Generals of MDAs.

The stakeholders at the event stressed that there has been a lot of progress but building a more prosperous, secure and inclusive nation remains an ongoing responsibility for leaders and citizens alike.

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President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to keep faith with the country.

The appeal was made by the President on Friday during his nationwide broadcast on the 27th anniversary of Nigeria’s uninterrupted democracy, it was reported.

He welcomed criticism from Nigerian youths, but asked them to remain steadfast in the belief that the country would get better.

He said democracy fails when citizens lose faith in the process, adding that the National Assembly, judiciary, the press and civil society are the guardrails of Nigeria.

“Disagree with me, criticise me, but never stop believing in the country.

2. “To our young people, Nigeria is your home and your future. Here build, here work, here eat. Every great nation was built by those who stayed to solve problems, not by those who abandoned ship.

“To our forces, police and intelligence services, Nigeria salutes your sacrifices. “Thank you to our traditional rulers, faith leaders and community heads for your support for peace and reconciliation,” Tinubu said.

Meanwhile, Tinubu has warned bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terrorism to surrender or face the full might of the Nigerian state.

The President’s warning was delivered on Friday in a nationwide broadcast to mark the 2026 Democracy Day and the 27th year of unbroken civilian rule, it was reported.

The country has made great strides in the war on terror with security forces going from training with foreign partners to pinpointing terrorist positions, Tinubu said.

The President said Nigerian security forces had “degraded” an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State.

He added that terror-related deaths had dropped significantly since 2015.

“We’ve gone from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting.” We degraded ISWAP’s command centre in Arege, Borno State. Terror deaths down 81% since 2015. “In the last one year, we have neutralized over 13,000 terrorists,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu said government would continue to provide a surrender window for those willing to lay down their arms.

He said Operation Safe Corridor had facilitated the surrender of more than 124,000 fighters and dependents since 2023.

“But we also keep the door of surrender open,” Tinubu further stated. Operation Safe Corridor has seen over 124,000 fighters and dependents surrender their arms since 2023.

“To bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full might of the Nigerian State. These windows of surrender will not stay open forever. “No mercy shall be shown to those that trade in the blood of Nigerians.”

The President appealed to Nigerians to stay united and to avoid blaming any ethnic group for criminal activities.

“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers,” Tinubu added. Crime does not have an ethnicity. We must stand together and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history.

“We will overcome terror and we will continue to build a more prosperous country.”410

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