Prominent human rights advocate and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has publicly declined to participate in ongoing discussions on electoral reform in Nigeria, arguing that the problem lies not with electoral laws but with the judiciary.
In a strongly worded post on X (formerly
Twitter), Odinkalu wrote:
“I regret to disappoint u but I won’t join in any discussion of #Electora/Reform in #Nigeria under current conditions. What exactly is wrong with Electoral Act 2023? The judges gutted it. They’ll do the same to the next. What u need to reform is not elections; it’s judges and SANS!”
His comments come amid renewed calls by political actors and civil society groups for overhauling Nigeria’s electoral system, following widespread dissatisfaction with the conduct and outcomes of the 2023 general elections.
Initially celebrated as a landmark legislation designed to promote transparency and integrity, the Electoral Act 2023 has been undermined by a series of controversial judicial rulings-many of which overturned electoral results and reinstated candidates in ways that critics claim contradict both the spirit and letter of the law.
Odinkalu contends that the persistent failure to hold judges and Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) accountable has rendered legislative reforms ineffective. According to him, unless the judiciary is reformed, efforts to revise electoral laws will remain futile.