OPINION: When Democracy Goes To Court Before The Voter Arrives-Barr Sagagi

“… money, might and chaotic litigation are strangling Nigeria’s democracy ahead of 2027”

By Emmanuel Kwada

As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections, a senior legal adviser to the Kano State Governor has sounded the alarm that the country’s democracy is increasingly being decided in courtrooms, private villas and party backrooms long before ordinary citizens get anywhere near a polling booth.

Barrister Aminu Hussaini Sagagi, Special Adviser to Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf on Justice and Constitutional Matters, in a strongly worded opinion piece made available to journalists on Wednesday, described the trend as a “triple threat” of money, might and chaotic litigation that now poses an existential risk to Nigeria’s electoral process.

“When democracy goes to court before the voter arrives, the heart of electoral legitimacy is compromised,” Sagagi wrote. “Unless we confront this drift, 2027 risks becoming another election decided by judicial technicalities, power blocs and influence peddlers — not the will of the Nigerian people.”

The Kano-born lawyer argued that pre-election litigation has reached epidemic proportions, with aspirants investing more in hiring Senior Advocates than in campaigning to voters. “Instead of focusing on policies, candidates now budget heavily for legal teams to disqualify opponents, overturn primaries or secure favourable interpretations of party rules,” he stated.

Sagagi further lamented the monetisation of politics, pointing out that nomination forms priced in tens of millions of naira, cash-soaked delegate primaries and open vote-buying on election day have effectively turned public office into a commodity for the highest bidder.

“Democracy should not and cannot be an auction,” he declared, warning that an ongoing “arms race of money” ahead of 2027 will only deepen the crisis.

The legal practitioner also highlighted the persistent role of thuggery and intimidation, accusing politicians of deploying thugs and misusing security agencies to silence voters. “When fear replaces freedom at the polling unit, what we conduct is not an election but a coronation disguised as democracy,” he said.

Sagagi reserved some of his sharpest criticism for internal party manipulation — doctored delegate lists, parallel congresses and last-minute substitutions — which he said lay the foundation for post-election chaos and endless court cases.

Calling 2027 a “defining moment,” the Special Adviser urged sweeping reforms: radical political finance regulation, genuine internal party democracy, judicial restraint, technology-backed transparent voting, and strict neutrality of security agencies.

He rallied citizens not to remain spectators, quoting a popular saying: “If you really want to eat, keep climbing; the fruits are on the top of the tree.” Urging Nigerians to register, obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and defend their votes, he declared: “One cannot score a goal sitting on the bench. You have to dress up and enter the game. Yes, WE CAN DO IT!”

Concluding his piece, Sagagi insisted: “The power to shape Nigeria’s future lies with its citizens. In 2027, the popular vote must not merely be counted; it MUST be respected, protected and allowed to decide.”

The opinion has already sparked reactions across political circles, with many commentators agreeing that unless urgent reforms are implemented, the 2027 elections risk being another bitterly disputed exercise decided more by lawyers and moneybags than by the ballot box.