Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a scathing attack on Nigeria’s judiciary and electoral system, describing the courts as “a court of corruption rather than a court of justice” and accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, of undermining the nation’s democracy.
In his latest book, Nigeria: Past and Future, Obasanjo laments what he calls a sharp decline in judicial integrity, warning that the justice system has become transactional.
“The reputation of the Nigerian judiciary has steadily gone down from the four eras up till today. The rapidity of the precipitous fall, particularly in the Fourth Republic, is lamentable,” he wrote.
The former president cited an instance where a governor showed him six duplexes allegedly owned by a judge who made his fortune as chairman of election tribunals — an example Obasanjo says reflects the depth of judicial corruption.
Obasanjo also accused Yakubu of eroding public trust in elections since 2015.
“No wonder politicians do not put much confidence in an election which the INEC of Professor Mahmood Yakubu polluted and grossly undermined to make a charade,” he said.
He argued that election outcomes are increasingly determined by tribunal and appellate judges rather than voters, adding: “No matter what the will of the people may be, the Chairman of INEC since after the 2015 election had made his will greater and more important than the will of the people.”
Obasanjo further alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari colluded with judges during his own election disputes.
“Buhari threw caution to the wind, no matter what had transpired between him and the judges who did his bidding. In his election cases, financially, he topped it up with appointments for them no matter their age and their ranks,” Obasanjo alleged.
Warning of grave consequences for Nigeria’s stability, Obasanjo concluded: “After a false declaration of results, making losers winners and winners losers, the victim of the cheating is advised to go to court, which is a court of corruption rather than a court of justice.”
(TRIBUNE)
