By| Goodluck E.Adubazi | Abuja
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, and senior lawyers of undermining Nigeria’s democracy and pushing the country toward a one-party state under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Thursday at the 5th anniversary lecture in honour of Yinka Odumakin held at Osun Hall, Airport Hotel, Falana warned that continued suppression of opposition parties could trigger widespread unrest.
“The way they are going, they will provoke the Nigerian people to a revolution,” he said, cautioning however that “you cannot just have a revolution without proper organisation, otherwise it will become anarchy.”
Falana specifically criticised INEC over its reported decision to stop recognising the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arguing that the move misinterpreted a court ruling.
According to him, the court order merely called for maintaining the status quo and did not empower the electoral body to withdraw recognition of the party’s leadership. He explained that the legal doctrine of status quo ante bellum requires a return to the situation before the dispute, which he said has been wrongly applied.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission… stated that based on the intervention of the court, ADC, we shall no longer recognise you. I say that INEC is wrong,” Falana said.
He further alleged that judicial decisions are weakening opposition parties by allowing individuals accused of anti-party activities to remain within their parties, thereby undermining internal discipline and democratic competition.
The senior advocate warned that such developments could ultimately leave Nigeria with only one viable presidential candidate in future elections.
Falana also pointed to what he described as a troubling pattern across parts of Africa, citing examples from Benin and Tanzania, where opposition figures have faced legal persecution or violence during election periods.
Referencing activist Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), Falana said opposition leaders in Nigeria are increasingly preoccupied with legal battles rather than campaigning.
“Instead of campaigning, Sowore will be making efforts not to be jailed,” he said.
He also mentioned legal challenges affecting members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning that court actions could restrict participation in elections.
On internal party disputes, Falana criticised developments within the Labour Party, referencing controversies involving Julius Abure, whom he alleged had been investigated and later granted amnesty despite serious accusations.
Beyond politics, Falana condemned what he described as inequality in Nigeria’s justice system.
He argued that while influential individuals are sometimes granted temporary release for personal matters such as family burials, ordinary detainees are denied similar privileges.
“All suspects in police custody, all inmates and convicts in prisons must be released to bury their loved ones whenever they lose them. There shall be equality before the law,” he stated.
He also criticised government priorities, citing the installation of solar panels in official residences despite widespread electricity shortages affecting ordinary Nigerians.
“The President that has promised to give us uninterrupted electricity has just installed solar. All Nigerians are entitled to solar panels in their houses because that was fixed with public funds,” he said.
Falana concluded by urging civil society organisations, labour unions, and citizens to organise in defence of democratic values, warning that failure to act could deepen authoritarian tendencies.
“We must be organised to challenge the forces that are making a mockery of the democracy that we fought for,” he said.
