In his newly published book, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has issued a stern warning about the nation's judicial system, labeling it severely compromised. He asserts that the courts have increasingly become venues of corruption instead of dispensers of justice.
The book, titled Nigeria: Past and Future, details Obasanjo's concerns over what he sees as a dramatic and regrettable erosion of the judiciary's integrity, a decline he believes has accelerated significantly in recent years. He argues that justice has been commodified, accessible only to those who can afford to pay for it. Obasanjo cautions that this reality fosters an environment where despair and chaos can replace order and hope, posing a direct threat to the nation's stability.
To illustrate his claims, Obasanjo recalls an anecdote from a visit to a northern state, where a governor reportedly showed him six lavish homes allegedly constructed by a judge using money earned from presiding over election tribunals.
The former leader also directed criticism at Nigeria's electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He accused its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, of damaging the credibility of the nation's electoral process since his appointment, leading to a widespread lack of confidence in election outcomes.
These pointed criticisms have reignited public discourse on the urgent need for comprehensive reforms within Nigeria's key democratic institutions to rebuild eroding public trust.
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