HURIWA: NDC judgement puts Nigeria’s democracy on trial

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has warned that the Federal High Court judgement in Lokoja setting aside an earlier order that led to the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, raises serious questions about judicial consistency, political inclusion, and the health of Nigeria’s democracy.

 

—“Troubling questions about judicial decisions”—

 

In a statement on Saturday, HURIWA said it respects the courts and the right to seek legal redress. However, it noted that the circumstances of the latest ruling have fuelled apprehension among civil society groups and citizens who value political plurality.

 

“While HURIWA respects the authority of the courts… 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,” the group said.

 

—From legal dispute to democratic concern—

 

HURIWA argued that the NDC controversy has moved beyond a technical legal matter to become a national issue with implications for electoral competition and the constitutional right to association.

 

“At a time when Nigerians are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, worsening insecurity, rising unemployment and declining public trust in governance, it is unfortunate 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,” it stated.

 

—Pressure on opposition ahead of 2027—

 

The rights group said many Nigerians perceive a “coordinated pressure” on opposition politics ahead of 2027. It urged state institutions to act transparently and independently to preserve public confidence.

 

“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 said.

 

—Judiciary’s role and credibility—

 

Describing the judiciary as “the final refuge of the ordinary citizen,” HURIWA warned that any perception of judicial processes being “weaponised for political ends poses a grave danger to constitutional democracy.”

 

It added: “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.”

 

—Calls to Tinubu, INEC and the NJC—

 

HURIWA called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to publicly reaffirm his commitment to multiparty democracy and free competition. “A government that enjoys the confidence of the people should have no reason to fear opposition parties, dissenting voices or alternative political movements,” it said.

 

It also urged INEC to “maintain strict neutrality” and act only under the Constitution and electoral law, and asked the National Judicial Council, NJC, to strengthen mechanisms for judicial accountability and transparency.

 

—Civil society and international attention—

 

The group urged democracy advocates, development partners, political parties, youth organisations and professional bodies to remain vigilant and engage peacefully and constitutionally.

 

“What is at stake today extends far beyond the registration or deregistration of any single political party. What is at stake is the future of democratic competition, the independence of public institutions, the credibility of the electoral process and the constitutional right of Nigerians to freely choose those who govern them,” HURIWA stated.

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“Nigeria’s democracy was built through decades of sacrifice, resistance and struggle. It must not be weakened by actions that create doubts about the neutrality of institutions or the openness of the political process,” it added.