Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Mr. Peter Obi, has warned that Nigeria’s democratic institutions are being weakened by the growing acceptance of practices that undermine elections, accountability and the rule of law.
The former Anambra dtate governor
spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi.
Reflecting on his own experience in the courts, Mr. Obi recalled spending three years challenging his election as Anambra governor.
Obi also said judges who had never met him personally ruled on the case based on the evidence before them.
According to him, the independence he experienced in those proceedings has become increasingly difficult to imagine in today’s Nigeria.
His words: “Five judges that I never met for one day gave judgement in my favour. It cannot happen in Nigeria of today.”
Obi further said his concerns extended beyond the judiciary, arguing that several institutions and influential groups that should protect democratic values are instead contributing to their erosion.
He criticised what he described as the involvement of academics in electoral malpractice, lawmakers’ handling of electoral offences, legal professionals defending questionable conduct and religious figures seeking blessings for politicians accused of wrongdoing.
Obi said: ”Where professors are now aiding illiterates to rig elections… our religious leaders are now praying for criminal politicians for blessings. We have a crisis.”
The former governor urged Nigerians to look beyond individual political contests and examine the health of the institutions responsible for sustaining democracy.
He warned that when questionable practices become accepted as normal, their consequences will extend beyond the current generation.
“We need to reverse this because the abuse we are allowing today will take its revenge on our children, ” he said.
Obi’s comments came against the backdrop of the dialogue’s central question: “Beyond elections, can political parties and the judiciary save African democracy?”
The event brought together prominent political figures, constitutional experts and civil society voices to examine the challenges confronting democratic governance across the continent.
For Obi, however, the challenge goes beyond the conduct of elections. He argued that democracy cannot thrive when institutions lose their independence and citizens become accustomed to practices that would once have been considered unacceptable.
His warning was ultimately a call for Nigerians to resist that normalisation before the damage becomes a burden inherited by future generations.
