By Reporters
Some stakeholders in the South-East have expressed concern over the growing number of litigations rocking political parties in Nigeria, describing the trend as a threat to the country’s democratic development.
The stakeholders made the observations in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the topic: “Proliferation of Political Litigation and Its Implications for Democracy.”
The stakeholders said that persistent court cases across political parties, especially among opposition parties, could weaken their chances of presenting formidable candidates in the next general elections.
NAN reports that major political parties in the country, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), were currently entangled in various legal disputes and leadership crises.
For instance, the ADC had been destabilised by leadership disputes and court cases over the control of party structures, while the PDP is battling recurring litigations over national leadership legitimacy and the control of party structures in several states.
In the Labour Party, disputes over the legitimacy of the national leadership and control of party structures reportedly contributed to the exit of some prominent members, including former presidential candidate, Peter Obi and others.
The APC, though relatively stable at the national level, has continued to witness internal crises in some states, particularly Rivers State.
The recent Supreme Court ruling on the ADC leadership crisis reportedly failed to conclusively settle the matter, returning substantive issues to the trial court and prolonging uncertainty within the party.
Speaking on the development in Enugu, a Human Rights Lawyer, Mr Awforkansi Nnadiume, said the growing litigations were slowing Nigeria’s democratic progress.
“The effect on democracy is that it delays our democracy and shows that we are yet to fully get our democratic system right, even after almost 30 years of uninterrupted democratic rule,” he said.
According to him, many of the litigations are frivolous and border on the internal affairs of political parties, which ordinarily should be resolved within party structures.
“Most of the litigations in court are on internal affairs of the party. The law says such matters should be left to the parties themselves, but the courts keep entertaining them.
“These things are meant to delay the political process and force Nigeria into a one-party system, which is not acceptable in a democratic setting,” he said.
Nnadiume, however, noted that court decisions on political disputes were expected to strengthen democracy if political actors learnt from past mistakes.
“Unfortunately, we are not learning. Our democracy appears to be moving two steps forward and ten steps backward,” he added.
He urged politicians to embrace internal dispute resolution mechanisms and strengthen party discipline to reduce unnecessary litigations.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria, Enugu State chapter, Dr Ambrose Igboke, said the growing litigations were symptoms of deeper structural problems within political parties.
“For me, the issue is not even the proliferation of litigation, but why it is happening. Most political parties are not grounded in discipline and internal democracy.
“They leave loopholes in their constitutions which are manipulated by party leaders,” he said.
Igboke cited the ADC as an example, noting that the influx of influential politicians into existing party structures often leads to disputes and marginalisation of longstanding members.
“When those who built the party are sidelined, they naturally go to court because the constitution allows aggrieved persons to seek redress instead of taking the law into their hands,” he said.
According to him, the resort to litigation, rather than violence, should be seen as a positive sign for democracy.
“Gradually, our democracy is being strengthened by judicial interpretations and court decisions,” he stated.
He, however, called for greater adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms within political parties to reduce tensions and foster reconciliation.
“The problem is that politics in Nigeria is often treated as a do-or-die affair rather than an avenue for service.
“That is why reconciliation becomes difficult because many politicians are unwilling to compromise,” Igboke added.
He, therefore, urged political parties to strengthen internal democratic processes, respect party constitutions and prioritise dialogue in resolving disputes ahead of the 2027 elections.
Also, political analysts and stakeholders in Abakaliki, Ebonyi capital, have also expressed concern over the growing wave of political litigations in Nigeria, warning that the trend could undermine democratic stability and weaken opposition parties ahead of future elections.
They lamented the increasing resort to courts for the resolution of internal party disputes, leadership tussles and electoral disagreements, describing it as a major feature of Nigeria’s political landscape.
A political analyst, Chief Chinedu Okafor, acknowledged that litigation remained a constitutional means of seeking justice but expressed concern over its excessive use in political matters.
According to Okafor, the development has contributed to prolonged crises within political parties, weakened internal democracy and distracted political actors from governance and party-building.
“Persistent court cases within opposition parties have created uncertainty and instability capable of affecting public confidence in the democratic process,” he said.
Okafor further explained that leadership disputes and factional crises in several opposition parties often resulted in multiple litigations, leading to conflicting court judgments and prolonged divisions.
“Political parties are expected to resolve most of their internal issues through established democratic mechanisms instead of relying excessively on the courts.
“When party members constantly approach the courts over every disagreement, it weakens party cohesion and affects the credibility of the opposition,” Okafor added.
He also alleged that some litigations were politically motivated and sponsored to destabilise opposition parties and reduce their effectiveness during elections.
Also speaking, a Constitutional Lawyer and politician, Mr Ifeanyi Nworie, noted that the judiciary had increasingly become a decisive factor in political contests due to the failure of political actors to respect party constitutions and democratic procedures.
Nworie stressed the need for political parties to strengthen internal conflict-resolution mechanisms and ensure transparency in candidate selection and leadership processes.
He warned that excessive judicial interference in political affairs could erode the independence of political institutions and heightened political tension in the country.
“Though everyone has the constitutional right to seek redress in court when aggrieved, there is need for all stakeholders to respect the rule of law and democratic principles for a better Nigeria,” he said.
A Civil Society Advocate, Mrs Nkechinyere Nnachi, said the situation had contributed to voter apathy, as many Nigerians had become frustrated by endless legal battles among politicians.
She urged political leaders to prioritise issue-based politics and democratic engagement rather than prolonged courtroom confrontations.
According to her, democracy thrives when political disagreements are resolved through dialogue, consensus and strict adherence to party rules.
The stakeholders called for reforms in Nigeria’s electoral and political systems to reduce avoidable litigations and strengthen democratic institutions in the country.
Nigerians have expressed different opinions over the influence of judicial interference on democratic practice in the country.
In Anambra, some analysts said the judiciary interventions were necessary for checking abuse in the system while others said it was being used to subvert natural justice.
Mr Tony Okafor, a social commentator in Awka, said that political litigation and judicial interference had weakened democratic practice in Nigeria by turning courts into political battlefields instead of neutral defenders of justice.
Okafor said excessive court cases over party and electoral disputes weakened internal democracy, created leadership crises, and shifted power from party members to judges.
He cited the legal tango between Mr Julius Abure and Mrs Nenadi Usman in the Labour Party as a clear example of the danger litigation posed to internal party discipline and opposition politics.
According to him, conflicting judgments also reduce public trust, increase voter apathy, and distract parties from governance.
“The leadership tussle in the Labour Party created confusion, divided the party, weakened its opposition role, damaged its reform image, and discouraged many supporters, especially the youths.
“The crisis also contributed to defections, including that of Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in 2023.
“What this shows is that strong institutions, transparent party processes, and political maturity are more important for democracy than courtroom victories,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Chinedu Agbordike, a former chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, Orlu Branch, said that political litigation was both a safeguard and a challenge to Nigerian democracy.
Agbordike said if properly exercised, judicial intervention upheld legality and constitutional order but warned that excessive or politicised interference subjected it to substituting judicial authority for democratic choice.
He said that judicial intervention was important in the democratic system for protection of the rule of law, protection of minority rights, prevention of electoral anarchy and help to guarantee constitutional accountability.
Agbordike said the matter between Sen. David Mark and Nafiu Bala in the African Democratic Congress was an example of how judicial intervention could fragment a political party, weaken public confidence, and impede effective opposition politics.
“The impact of political litigation and perceived judicial interference on democratic practice in Nigeria is profound and far-reaching.
“There is a need for courts to balance their constitutional duty to enforce the law with judicial restraint in matters better resolved through democratic party structures.
“On their part, political parties have to have strong internal dispute resolution mechanisms because the Supreme Court of Nigeria has consistently warned against unnecessary judicial interference in internal party affairs,” he said.
Also speaking, Jude Akorah, a politician, described litigation as part of the political process which could not be separated from other aspects of the process .
Akorah said as long as there were disagreement and grievances, parties would continue to resort to the judiciary for redress.
Some residents of Nsukka in Enugu State have described the proliferation of political litigation in opposition parties as an ugly development in the country’s democracy.
Mr Gerald Eze, former Chairman of the NBA Nsukka branch, said Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as “Government of the people by the people and for the people” and not government of the court.
“In real democracy power belongs to the people and not the court.
“The present proliferation of political litigations in opposition political parties is an indication that all is not well in the country’s democracy as 2027 general elections draw near.
“The aim of those behind this ugly development is to weaken opposition parties and interfer with people’s mandates,” he said.
Eze said the implications of this proliferation of political litigation was to ensure that “the will of the people do not prevail but the mandate of individual will stand.
“The apex court (Supreme Court) have, many times, ruled that the court has no power to determine the leadership of political parties.
“What the court has powers to look into, is when the rules and regulations of a political party is flouted or breached by an individual or group of people.
“Many of these proliferations are politically motivated with the aim of stifling opposition political parties in the country,” he said.
Dr Chinedu Ejezie, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), said series of litigations in opposition parties were sponsored to ensure that opposition parties do not appear in ballot papers during 2027 general elections.
“It is a bad omen to our nascent democracy as it will portray the country’s image in bad light, if in 2027 general elections only the ruling party produced presidential candidate,” he said.
The don alleged that some individuals in the ruling party at the centre were responsible for the court litigations in opposition parties like Labour Party, PDP, ADC, among others.
He said that what these people wanted to achieve was to ensure that opposition political parties in the country were suppressed and failed to produce candidates in 2027 general elections.
“Any democracy without opposition parties is no longer democracy as competition and contest are the beauty and hallmark of real democracy.
“What makes democracy sweet and globally accepted is that the electorates have candidates from different political parties to choose from during elections.
“But if only one political party produced candidate in a general elections is no longer democracy,” Ejezie added. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Reporters/MNA
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu
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