2027 Polls at Risk as Parties Struggle With Internal Democracy, Falana Warns
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has expressed doubts about the ability of Nigeria’s political class to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2027, citing the persistent failure of political parties to organize transparent primary elections.
Falana made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the June 12 Democracy Day Commemoration Lecture organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the Prof. Humphrey Nwosu Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in Abuja.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey and the legacy of the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, who supervised the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, Falana said the country’s political parties have continued to undermine internal democracy.
According to him, recent party primaries exposed deep flaws within the electoral process, particularly following provisions of Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which limited parties to consensus or direct primary methods.
“The crop of politicians we have today cannot even conduct successful primaries within their political parties; therefore, they cannot be trusted to conduct free and credible elections in 2027,” Falana stated.
He noted that the controversies surrounding party primaries led to the withdrawal of aspirants and a surge in litigation, further highlighting the collapse of internal party democracy.
Falana also revisited the events surrounding the annulled June 12, 1993 election, recalling how he and other pro-democracy activists published election results after finding no legal basis for withholding them.
“We examined all relevant laws and found no provision preventing Nigerians from knowing the election results. After publishing them, we were arrested, detained in Keffi prison and denied bail,” he recalled.
The senior lawyer warned that democratic freedoms remain under threat, alleging that the Cybercrimes Act is increasingly being used to suppress dissent and silence critics of government.
“Today, citizens risk prosecution for expressing opinions against elected officials. Freedom of speech is gradually being eroded,” he said.
On security, Falana condemned the government’s engagement with so-called repentant terrorists and kidnappers, arguing that existing laws prescribe prosecution rather than negotiation.
He cited provisions of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, which criminalize negotiations with terrorist groups, insisting that perpetrators of violent crimes should face justice.
Falana further lamented the country’s socio-economic challenges, including insecurity, widespread poverty, inadequate healthcare services, poor electricity supply and the growing number of out-of-school children, estimated at 13.5 million.
To strengthen accountability, he called on the National Human Rights Commission and civil society organizations to push for the monthly publication of statutory allocations to federal, state and local governments.
He also decried the underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics, noting that several African countries have achieved near gender parity in governance while Nigeria continues to lag behind.
“You cannot build a genuine democracy while excluding more than half of the population. The liberation and participation of women are essential to democratic development,” he said.
Falana urged Nigerians, the media and civil society groups to focus political discussions on governance, security, employment and welfare rather than ethnic or religious considerations.
The event was held in honour of the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, widely celebrated for overseeing what is regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election on June 12, 1993.
