Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for a judiciary that is independent, impartial and firmly guided by the law, warning that the credibility of democratic governance depends heavily on the courts remaining free from political influence.
Jonathan made the remarks on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi State, where he spoke about the challenges facing democracy and the responsibilities of political institutions.
The former president identified the judiciary as a crucial safeguard of constitutional democracy, arguing that judges must be able to perform their duties without interference from the executive or other arms of government.
He stressed that judicial officers must approach political and electoral disputes with fairness, evidence and established legal principles.
“Judicial officers should be fair, ” he said.
Jonathan expressed concern about the increasing reliance on the courts to settle electoral disputes and political disagreements that could, in some circumstances, be resolved through voters or stronger internal mechanisms within political parties.
He noted that the growing volume of political litigation, particularly in Nigeria, could affect public confidence in the judiciary if citizens begin to believe that electoral and political outcomes are routinely determined in courtrooms rather than through democratic processes.
For Jonathan, protecting the integrity of elections therefore requires more than an independent judiciary. Political parties must also take responsibility for the way they operate and the candidates they put forward.
The former president urged political parties to improve their internal democratic structures and ensure that the selection of candidates reflects credible and transparent processes.
He argued that stronger internal democracy could reduce the number of disputes that eventually end up before the courts.
Jonathan’s message placed responsibility on both sides of the democratic process: courts must faithfully interpret and apply the law, while political parties must build systems capable of resolving their own internal disputes fairly.
His comments come amid continuing debates across Nigeria and other African countries over electoral credibility, judicial independence and the growing role of courts in political affairs.
For Jonathan, an effective democracy requires institutions that are trusted by citizens and political actors alike—and that trust, he suggested, can only endure when the judiciary remains independent, impartial and faithful to the law.
