Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s growing culture of post-election litigation, saying the increasing role of the courts in determining political outcomes is weakening the country’s democratic process.
Jonathan, who spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Democracy Dialogue organised by his Foundation in Bauchi, described Nigeria’s electoral dispute system as unusual compared with other African democracies, where elections are largely resolved through the ballot rather than prolonged court battles.
“The Nigerian situation is extremely different from most other African countries,” he said.
“The kind of election litigation we experience here is uncommon. I can describe the Nigerian situation as a very anomalous one.”
The former president recalled a conversation with a former Deputy President of South Africa during his tenure as vice president, saying she was surprised that Nigerian politicians routinely challenged election results in court after losing.
“She asked me, ‘Jonathan, why would somebody go
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