Activist lawyer Maduabuchi Idam has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s legal challenge against President Bola Tinubu over certificate discrepancies as an action “dead on arrival,” arguing that the judicial system lacks the courage to deliver justice in the matter.
In a signed statement, Idam said the lawsuit would nonetheless serve a purpose by exposing institutional weaknesses. Atiku had filed legal action against Tinubu over alleged discrepancies in the names on the president’s form submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the court to disqualify Tinubu from contesting the 2027 election.
Idam contended that the likely failure of the suit would stem not from a lack of merit but from systemic reluctance to enforce accountability. “That is the sentiment of most Tinubu supporters, and regrettably, that may well be the reality confronting the suit, not necessarily because the action lacks merit, but because the system, as presently constituted, appears to lack the courage to allow justice to be done in the matter,” he said.
The lawyer argued that regardless of the outcome, the proceedings would continue to lampoon the system and subject it to public scorn. He warned that the greatest danger to democracy is not merely bad laws but a system in which citizens lose faith that the law will be applied impartially.
“With the way things are going, I seriously doubt whether Nigeria can sustain a system worthy of human existence beyond 2031 if we fail to undertake fundamental institutional reforms,” Idam added.
The remarks reflect growing concern among legal observers about the judiciary’s capacity to adjudicate high-stakes political disputes without perceived interference. While the case proceeds, analysts say its trajectory will test the independence of Nigeria’s courts and the resilience of its democratic institutions ahead of the next electoral cycle.
