How political vanity is choking Nigeria’s future

Democracy in Nigeria is quietly and gradually eroding, not through a single dramatic event, but through the deliberate obstruction of justice by politicians. The author likens this to "democracy dies in darkness," a phrase that regains its weight when witnessing the current state of affairs.

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Democracy dies in darkness.

Politicians and their legal teams are accused of intentionally overloading the judicial system with baseless claims, thereby disrespecting the authority of the courts and the rule of law. Every hour a Nigerian judge spends untangling these "political vanity projects" is an hour stolen from those with genuine legal needs – widows, entrepreneurs, investors, and ordinary citizens seeking fairness.

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Our democracy is eroding one frivolous lawsuit at a time.

A report by the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) highlighted that 90% of Nigerians faced at least one legal issue in four years, with many remaining unresolved and significantly impacting health, finances, and family lives. Despite this, politicians continue to treat litigation as a campaign tactic, using lawsuits to eliminate opponents or challenge election results, leading to swollen court dockets and delayed justice.

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Every hour a Nigerian judge spends untangling a political vanity project is an hour stolen from someone else.

The consequence is a predictable outcome: genuine disputes languish, businesses postpone crucial decisions, and public confidence in the judiciary wanes. Judges are forced to spend valuable time on cases that should never have reached their desks. While the judiciary is often blamed for being slow, the author contends that this is a direct result of the abuse of process, where every frivolous filing steals judicial attention and erodes confidence in the democratic system.

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The courtroom becomes the campaign office by another name.