June 12: Nigerian Courts Have Endorsed Electoral Heists, LPPMC, Rights Activists Allege as Group Accuses Judiciary of Undermining Democracy
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….Calls for Constitutional Overhaul and Electoral Reforms
As Nigeria marks the 2025 Democracy Day, the Liberal Progressive and Patriotic Members Congress (LPPMC), in collaboration with prominent civil rights advocates, has issued a damning critique of the country’s democratic trajectory, declaring that “Nigerian courts have legitimized electoral heists” and alleging that the country has descended into “electoral autocracy.”
The scathing remarks were made during a virtual Democracy Day/June 12 dialogue organized by LPPMC, where participants expressed deep concern over what they described as a systemic erosion of democratic values in the nation.
The group, which includes leading public intellectuals and political figures such as Dr. Kingsley Okundaye, National Coordinator of LPPMC; Hon. Casimir Biriyok; Dr. Sam Amadi; Chief Olusola Ebiseni, Secretary General of Afenifere; and Hon. Jonathan Asake, the 2023 Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Kaduna State, called for sweeping reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Central to their demands is an urgent review of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) biometric voter register. The coalition called on INEC to implement a blockchain-based voting system to prevent tampering and to mandate live streaming of all results collation processes as a way to bolster electoral transparency and public trust.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the dialogue, the group decried what it sees as a disturbing trend where judicial officers undermine electoral justice.
“Our courts have become complicit in robbing the electorate of their mandate,” the statement alleged. To reverse this trend, the group advocated for a constitutional amendment that would impose penalties on judicial officers found to have subverted electoral justice.
Further emphasizing the need for systemic reforms, the coalition called for INEC to comply with a 90-day deadline for adjudicating election petitions and proposed constitutional recognition of power rotation between Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and major religious blocs.
According to the group, 25 years of democratic rule have failed to resolve the North’s marginalization in terms of power-sharing, thus necessitating formal constitutional guarantees.
The LPPMC and its allies also called attention to what they described as inequitable distribution of local government area (LGA) allocations and urged a full review of the current formula. In line with Nigeria’s national gender policy, the group recommended the reservation of 40% of leadership slots for women and youth.
Delivering his keynote address, Dr. Kingsley Okundaye emphasized the symbolic weight of June 12 in Nigeria’s democratic consciousness. “June 12 is not merely a date on Nigeria’s national calendar,” he declared. “It is the heartbeat of Nigeria’s democratic struggle, a reminder of the sacrifices made by heroes like MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and countless others who dared to dream of a Nigeria governed by the people’s will.”
He lamented the current state of democracy in Nigeria, noting, “Our democracy faces existential threats—institutions weaponized against the people’s sovereignty, elections that mock the very concept of popular mandate, and economic hardship deliberately deployed to suppress dissent.”
Despite these challenges, Dr. Okundaye struck a tone of resilience. “Yet, like the proverbial palm tree, the Nigerian spirit cannot be broken,” he said. “This dialogue serves three urgent purposes represented in the 3Rs: Remember, Resist and Rebuild.”
He further explained, “To remember is to honor the blood and tears that birthed this democracy. To resist is to expose the current assault on democratic values. To rebuild is to chart the path to reclaiming Nigeria through coalition-building across progressive forces.”
Dr. Okundaye called on Nigerians to engage actively in democratic renewal: “We must ensure grassroots mobilization that transcends ethnic divides and electoral vigilance to protect every vote in 2027. Speak with courage but also with strategic clarity. Move beyond lamentations to actionable solutions. Reject divisive narratives and embrace our shared Nigerian identity.”
He assured participants of the LPPMC’s commitment to leading this national revival and announced that the group would launch Democracy Literacy Campaigns across all 774 LGAs in the country as part of its pre-2027 electoral strategy.
According to him, LPPMC would initiate the formation of 37 state coalition groups and begin mass voter education on September 12, following a July 1 commencement of a coalition for electoral integrity aimed at pressuring INEC to clean up the voter register by August 30.
“Let today’s dialogue ignite the spark that will light the fire of change across Nigeria,” Dr. Okundaye concluded, rallying citizens to join the democratic renewal and protect the integrity of the ballot ahead of the next general elections.
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