Nigeria: Experts warn of judicial and media roles in 2027 elections

Experts and academics in Nigeria are raising concerns regarding the integrity of the upcoming 2027 general elections, focusing on the roles of the media and the judiciary.

At a symposium in Lagos, speakers including Chidi Odinkalu and Mike Igini warned that increasing judicial intervention in electoral disputes could undermine popular sovereignty. They argued that while courts have a constitutional role in interpreting laws, judicial decisions should not effectively replace the will of voters in determining political mandates.

Separately, Professor Tanko Yahaya Baba of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto urged journalists to take a more proactive role in setting the political agenda. He emphasized that the media must move beyond merely reporting campaign speeches to scrutinizing policies and prioritizing critical issues such as security and the economy to ensure they remain central to public discourse.