Ondo NBA urges electoral reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy

The Akure Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association has called for urgent electoral and judicial reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and restore citizens’ confidence in governance.

The association expressed concern over persistent flaws in the nation’s electoral process, stressing that true democracy cannot thrive without a transparent, accountable, and independent judicial system.

The Chairman of the branch, Mr Onimisi Umar, made the call in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday, ahead of the association’s 2025 Law Week. The Law Week is themed “Nigeria: Quest for a Utilitarian Judiciary and Roles for Stakeholders.”

According to the NBA chairman, Nigeria’s electoral experiences over the years have exposed deep-rooted defects that require urgent attention from all stakeholders.

He noted that the integrity of the judiciary must be preserved for it to remain the last hope of the common man.

“As lawyers, we have our duties and responsibilities. The judiciary itself and the government also have theirs. The ongoing conversation on judicial independence will also be addressed.

“We believe democracy thrives where there is an independent judiciary. We will also examine the electoral system because it determines the legislature and the executive. If the process is defective, the products will be too,” Umar said.

The amendment of the Electoral Act is ongoing, and our communiqué at the end of the Law Week will communicate our recommendations to the government and those in a position to effect changes,” he added.

“One thing I can tell you is that when we look at the electoral system, we’ll also look at pre-election litigations, where party primaries often create problems that go up to the Supreme Court before being resolved. Personally, I believe some of these issues should be streamlined to determine which matters should go to court and which should not”, he said.

Umar further argued that democracy should not be left in the hands of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the judiciary alone, noting that citizens also have a critical role to play.

When a voter collects N5,000 to sell his vote, he becomes part of the larger problem. The destiny of democracy is in the hands of all of us,” he stated.

Reacting to public criticism of the judiciary over election rulings, Umar explained that judges decide cases strictly based on the evidence presented before them.

“Judges know the law and apply it according to the facts and circumstances of each case. What people sometimes call conflicting judgments are actually different interpretations based on the peculiarities of individual cases,” he noted.

He also commended the National Judicial Council for taking measures to curb unethical practices such as forum shopping, where litigants file cases in jurisdictions perceived to be sympathetic.

He said such practices undermine the integrity of the justice system and distort the course of justice.

In recent years, concerns over Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems have continued to dominate public discourse.

The 2023 general elections, for instance, were marred by widespread allegations of vote-buying, voter suppression, and technical glitches in the transmission of results, prompting calls for deeper reforms of the Electoral Act.

Similarly, the handling of post-election litigations by courts at various levels has attracted public scrutiny, with critics arguing that excessive judicial involvement in electoral outcomes undermines the people’s mandate.

Legal experts and civil society groups have repeatedly stressed the need to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and ensure faster resolution of election-related cases.