The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the 375 judges inaugurated to handle election petitions ahead of the 2027 general elections not to turn the courts into victory markets for politicians.
The warning was contained in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Sunday.
According to HURIWA, the 2027 elections must produce winners determined by the votes of citizens, not by the financial war chests of desperate politicians, judicial manipulation or alleged backroom arrangements.
The group said Nigerians will no longer accept a democracy in which politicians lose at the ballot box but allegedly purchase victories through questionable court judgments.
HURIWA said it had received disturbing concerns about alleged attempts by some politicians to influence election-related judicial proceedings through financial inducements, insisting that 2027 won’t be business as usual.
It declared that Nigeria cannot continue to operate an electoral system in which the courts are perceived as the final destination for politicians seeking to overturn the choices of voters.
The association warned that the 2027 post-election season would be a defining moment for the Nigerian judiciary, adding that judges who compromise their oath for financial inducements should expect unprecedented public scrutiny.
No judge should sell the mandate of Nigerians
HURIWA said judicial officers must understand they are being entrusted with the future of Nigeria’s democracy and not the political survival of powerful individuals.
It warned that any judge who converts the courtroom into a marketplace for electoral victories would be betraying the Constitution and undermining the sovereignty of the Nigerian people.
It stressed that judicial officers must not mistake the constitutional protection of their offices for immunity from public accountability, adding that Nigerians and political stakeholders will be far more vigilant in 2027.
The group called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to intensify vigilance around credible allegations of financial inducement and attempts to compromise tribunal proceedings.
It also urged the Code of Conduct Bureau to strengthen scrutiny of asset declarations of judges handling election disputes.
INEC must not export its failures to the courts
HURIWA challenged INEC to ensure that the 2027 elections are so credible that it does not leave behind avoidable controversies and endless litigation.
The commission, it said, must resist political pressure and ensure results accurately reflect choices made at polling units, noting that tribunals should exist to resolve genuine disputes, not routinely determine who governs Nigeria after electoral institutions have failed.
It specifically challenged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to demonstrate institutional independence.
The warning followed the inauguration of the 375 judges on Monday at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja. The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, disclosed that 138 were returning members while 237 were newly nominated.
HURIWA recalled that Section 285(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution empowers the President of the Court of Appeal to constitute election petition tribunals, while Section 134(3)(a) and (b) of the Electoral Act 2026 provides timelines for their constitution.
The association said the credibility of the judges’ decisions would have consequences far beyond the immediate fortunes of contestants.
“Let the people’s votes count. No politician must buy what the people have refused to give, and no judge must sell what the people have decided,” HURIWA stated.
