*Judiciary must not become a tool for political exclusion, HURIWA says
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed concern over the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja setting aside its earlier decision that led to the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a development that has generated widespread apprehension among democratic stakeholders, civil society organisations and millions of Nigerians.
HURIWA said that while it respects the authority of the courts and acknowledges the constitutional right of litigants to seek judicial remedies, it however, said that it’s compelled to state that the circumstances surrounding this judgment have raised troubling questions about the sanctity of judicial decisions, the stability of democratic institutions and the future of opposition politics in Nigeria.
It stated that the nation’s political discourse is increasingly being dominated by controversies that create the impression that democratic institutions are being deployed to constrict rather than expand political participation at a time when Nigerians are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, worsening insecurity, rising unemployment and declining public trust in governance.
It frowned that the controversy surrounding the NDC is no longer merely a legal matter but has evolved into a national democratic concern because of the implications it carries for political inclusion, electoral competition and citizens’ constitutional rights to freely associate and participate in governance.
HURIWA said it’s m concerned by the growing perception among Nigerians that opposition politics is coming under coordinated pressure ahead of the 2027 general elections. Whether such fears are justified or not, the responsibility lies with state institutions to act transparently, independently and in strict compliance with constitutional principles in order to maintain public confidence.
It remarked that democracy thrives when political competition is encouraged, when citizens have multiple choices at the ballot box and when institutions remain neutral arbiters in political disputes. Democracy begins to weaken when citizens perceive that political outcomes are being predetermined through administrative, judicial or extra-political mechanisms.
HURIWA warned that any perception that judicial processes are being weaponised for political ends poses a grave danger to constitutional democracy. History has repeatedly demonstrated that democratic institutions are weakened not only by overt authoritarianism but also by subtle and incremental encroachments on political freedoms and institutional independence.
HURIWA called on President Bola Tinubu to publicly and unequivocally reaffirm his commitment to multiparty democracy, political inclusion and free electoral competition.
National Coordinator, HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said: “A government that enjoys the confidence of the people should have no reason to fear opposition parties, dissenting voices or alternative political movements.
“We also call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain strict neutrality and ensure that its actions are guided solely by the Constitution and relevant electoral laws. The Commission must resist any pressure, direct or indirect, capable of undermining public confidence in its independence. Furthermore, we urge the National Judicial Council (NJC) to continue strengthening mechanisms that promote judicial accountability, transparency and public trust. The integrity of the judiciary must never be allowed to become a casualty of partisan political contests.
“We equally call on political parties, civil society groups, youth organisations, professional associations and democratic activists to remain vigilant and committed to peaceful, lawful and constitutional engagement in defence of democratic principles. The struggle to preserve democracy is not the responsibility of politicians alone. It is the collective responsibility of all Nigerians.”
