Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that Nigeria’s growing reliance on courts to resolve election disputes is weakening the country’s democracy.
Jonathan spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Democracy Dialogue organized by his foundation in Bauchi, where he described Nigeria’s level of post-election litigation as unusual compared with other African democracies.
He said elections should primarily be settled by voters at the ballot box rather than through prolonged court battles.
“The kind of election litigation we experience here is uncommon. I can describe the Nigerian situation as a very anomalous one,” Jonathan said.
The former president recalled that a former South African deputy president once questioned why Nigerian politicians routinely go to court after losing elections, noting that such litigation is less common in South Africa.
Jonathan said the judiciary must remain independent and impartial but expressed concern that public confidence in some political judgments had declined.
He also criticized what he described as increasing judicial involvement in political party affairs, particularly disputes over party primaries and the selection of candidates.
“Courts now determine who becomes a party’s candidate and, in some cases, which political party should be recognized,” he said.
According to Jonathan, political parties should have primary responsibility for choosing their candidates, while criminal offences committed during elections should be prosecuted.
He added that in highly disputed elections, returning the matter to voters could sometimes be preferable to prolonged legal battles.
Jonathan said Nigeria’s democracy depends on the effective functioning of political parties, electoral bodies, security agencies, the judiciary, civil society, the media, observers, and voters.
He urged stakeholders to reduce electoral disputes and restore public confidence in both elections and judicial decisions.
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