By Desire Uzochukwu
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the 375 judges inaugurated to handle election petitions ahead of the 2027 general elections against accepting bribes or allowing politicians to manipulate judicial proceedings to overturn the wishes of voters.
The rights group declared that Nigerians would no longer tolerate a situation where politicians who lose elections at the ballot box allegedly secure victories through questionable court judgments.
It insisted that the outcome of the 2027 elections must be determined by the votes of Nigerians, not the financial influence of desperate politicians, judicial manipulation or alleged backroom arrangements with compromised judicial officers.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA described the forthcoming election petition proceedings as a defining test of the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.
The association warned that the courts must not become a refuge for politicians seeking to overturn the decisions of voters through questionable legal manoeuvres.
It said the 375 judges had been entrusted with the future of Nigeria’s democracy and must resist every attempt to compromise their oath of office for financial inducements or political considerations.
According to HURIWA, any judge who turns the courtroom into a marketplace for electoral victories would be betraying the Constitution and undermining the sovereignty of the Nigerian people.
HURIWA calls for scrutiny of judges’ finances
The association said it had received disturbing concerns over alleged attempts by some politicians to influence election-related judicial proceedings through financial inducements.
It maintained that judicial corruption must no longer be allowed to hide behind complicated legal arguments or controversial judgments.
HURIWA warned that Nigerians and political stakeholders would closely monitor the conduct of election tribunal judges throughout the 2027 post-election period.
It also cautioned judicial officers against interpreting the constitutional protection attached to their offices as immunity from public accountability.
Consequently, the group called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to intensify vigilance around credible allegations of financial inducements, suspicious transactions and attempts to compromise election petition proceedings.
It further urged the Code of Conduct Bureau to strengthen scrutiny of asset declarations by judges handling electoral disputes, in accordance with the law.
The association said unexplained wealth and suspicious financial dealings involving judicial officers should not be ignored, particularly during a politically sensitive election cycle.
INEC must ensure credible elections
HURIWA also challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct credible elections in 2027 and avoid leaving behind controversies that could result in prolonged litigation.
It urged the commission to resist political pressure, address operational weaknesses and ensure that election results accurately reflect the choices made by voters at polling units.
The group argued that election petition tribunals were established to resolve genuine electoral disputes, not routinely determine who governs Nigeria because electoral institutions had failed to protect the people’s mandate.
It specifically challenged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to demonstrate institutional independence and ensure that the 2027 elections were not remembered as another exercise in which political influence and litigation overshadowed the ballot.
237 new judges join 138 returning tribunal members
The warning followed the inauguration of 375 judges on Monday at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja to serve on election petition tribunals ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the inauguration, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, disclosed that 138 of the judges were returning members with previous tribunal experience, while 237 were newly nominated.
She said the credibility of democracy depended not only on the conduct of elections but also on impartial, effective and timely mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.
HURIWA recalled that Sections 285(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empower the President of the Court of Appeal to constitute election petition tribunals for disputes arising from National and State Houses of Assembly and governorship elections.
The association also cited Sections 134(3)(a) and (b) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provide timelines relating to the constitution of tribunals and the opening of their registries.
It urged the 375 judges to appreciate that their decisions would have consequences far beyond the immediate political fortunes of election contestants.
The group warned that no amount of legal sophistication should be used to disguise injustice or legitimise electoral fraud, insisting that every tribunal judge had a duty to defend the Constitution, uphold the evidence and protect the mandate freely given by Nigerians.
Reaffirming its position, HURIWA said the 2027 elections must mark a departure from a system in which politicians allegedly use financial influence and court proceedings to obtain what they failed to win at the polls.
“The people’s votes must count. No politician must buy what the people have refused to give, and no judge must sell what the people have decided,” the association declared.
It urged INEC, the judiciary, security agencies and anti-corruption institutions to work towards ensuring that the integrity of the electoral process was protected before, during and after the 2027 general elections.
