Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has warned against allowing courts to decide the winners of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
Falana said voters should have the final say through their ballots. He argued that the judiciary should not replace the people’s choice after an election.
According to Daily Post, Falana made the statement during an interview on Arise Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday. The senior lawyer called for changes to Nigeria’s electoral process. He said the country must strengthen its elections before the 2027 general polls.
Falana expressed concern about the growing role of the judiciary in electoral disputes. He said courts should only resolve genuine disputes instead of determining who wins an election. He also criticised the use of legal technicalities in election cases. According to him, such practices can overturn the decision of voters.
“For me, the first matter to address is the role of the judiciary in the electoral process in Nigeria,” Falana said. “We must stop the practice whereby the court determine the winners of the election in Nigeria.”
Falana said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, must conduct credible elections. He also urged the commission to ensure that declared results reflect votes cast at polling units.
He believes a transparent electoral process would reduce the number of election petitions. It would also reduce the pressure on election tribunals and courts. The lawyer referred to the recent governorship election in Osun State. He said the election should produce a result that reflects the wishes of voters.
“We just had an election in Osun State, forget all the shortcomings,” he said.
“At the end of the day, the beauty of it will be that the governorship election will not go to court because the people have decided, they have elected their leader.”
Falana maintained that Nigerians should not have to wait for judges to determine their political leaders. He said voters must remain at the centre of the electoral process.
He also urged political parties and their candidates to respect the outcome of credible elections. According to him, parties should use the courts only when they have genuine grounds to challenge a result.
Meanwhile, Falana called on INEC to improve its preparation for the 2027 elections. He said better planning could help prevent irregularities and disputes.
He also stressed the importance of public participation. According to him, Nigerians must pay attention to the electoral process and demand accountability from relevant institutions.
The lawyer said the media also has an important role to play. He urged journalists to monitor elections and report irregularities without bias.
Falana’s comments come as political activities continue to build ahead of the 2027 general elections. Several politicians and political groups have already started positioning themselves for the polls.
The debate over electoral reform has also gained fresh attention. Many Nigerians have continued to question the role of election tribunals and courts in deciding electoral disputes.
Falana believes the best solution is to prevent flawed elections in the first place. He said credible polls would make it harder for disputes to reach the courts.
He stressed that the judiciary remains important to democracy. However, he argued that judges should not become the final decision-makers in elections that voters have already decided.
For Falana, the goal should be simple: Nigerians should elect their leaders, and the results should reflect their votes. He therefore wants all stakeholders to work towards credible and transparent elections in 2027.
Elom Fortunate Chiemerie is junior staff at modern crux that covers news on international politics, sports news and entertainment News
