Judiciary
MR Precious Nwadimuya, Member, General Council of the Bar and former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Asaba Branch, has urged stronger and independent judiciary to deepen democracy in Nigeria.
Nwadimuya made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Asaba, while speaking on Nigeria’s 2026 June 12 Independence Day commemoration.
He said that since 1999, to date , which marked 27 years of unbroken democratic rule in Nigeria, the nation has recorded progress in sustaining civilian rule but little in achieving peaceful transfers of power between elected administrations.
According to him, democratic institutions, especially the judiciary, still face significant challenges that require urgent attention.
Nwadimuya noted that electoral irregularities remain common, with political parties frequently challenging election results in court.
He attributed the disputes to alleged electoral malpractices, vote-buying and ballot-box snatching.
He said all citizens were expected to be equal before the law but some public officials sometimes acted with impunity.
The former NBA chairman identified fundamental rights, fair hearing and press freedom as key indicators of a functioning democracy.
According to him, these constitutional rights are occasionally undermined through actions that restrict free speech and media independence.
He said insecurity, lack of transparency in governance and corruption continued to weaken democratic development.
He urged greater independence for electoral bodies and stronger democratic institutions to strengthen democracy.
Nwadimuya acknowledged that the judiciary is performing its duties but sometimes, acted in ways that fell short of democratic expectations.
He stressed the need to strengthen the judiciary to enable it to remain an effective guardian of democracy.
He also urged Nigerians to uphold constitutionalism and ensure full compliance with the rule of law.
The legal practitioner further advocated civic education, noting that many voters lacked adequate understanding of political and democratic processes.
He described democracy as a continuous process that required transparency, accountability and active citizen participation.
Nwadimuya urged Nigerians to remain committed to democratic values until the nation attained the advanced democracy it desired. (NAN)
F.O
Tags: NBA Chair Strengthening Judiciary