Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised fresh concerns over the growing influence of political thuggery in Nigeria, warning that the country’s democracy risks collapse if electoral violence, judicial manipulation and weak institutions continue unchecked ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Jonathan made the remarks on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Bar Association Law Week in Abuja, where legal practitioners, political stakeholders and public officials gathered to deliberate on the future of Nigeria’s democratic system.
The former president painted a troubling picture of Nigeria’s political culture, lamenting that political violence had become so institutionalised that thuggery now appears to function like a recognised profession.
According to him, the country’s value system has become dangerously distorted, with political enforcers and violent actors enjoying privileges that many intellectuals and professionals struggle to attain.
“Look, Nigeria is the only country where thuggery is a profession in Africa,” Jonathan declared before a packed audience.
“Some thugs, when they are travelling out of this country, fly first class, while university professors struggle to manage to buy economy tickets.
“So when we have a country where the thugs fly first class, and the university professor flies economy, that country is like a cone turned upside down, and as a nation, we must do something.”
His remarks triggered strong reactions within the hall, reflecting growing national anxieties over the increasing role of violence, intimidation and financial inducement in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Jonathan stressed that democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere where political thugs influence elections and where citizens lose faith in the credibility of the ballot.
“We must run elections that thugs will have no role to play,” he said.
The former president’s intervention comes at a time political activities across the country are gradually intensifying ahead of the 2027 elections, with concerns already mounting over rising political tensions, defections and internal party crises.
Jonathan argued that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depends heavily on credible elections, strong institutions and an independent judiciary capable of resisting political pressure.
According to him, Nigerians must regain confidence that election outcomes genuinely reflect the will of the people rather than the influence of violence or judicial interference.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission must remain independent not only in name but in practice,” he said.
“Every Nigerian voter must have confidence that their vote counts, that electoral outcomes reflect the genuine will of the people, and that no citizen is disenfranchised.”
He warned that once citizens lose trust in the electoral process, democracy itself becomes endangered.
Jonathan also delivered one of his strongest criticisms yet of Nigeria’s post-election judicial system, arguing that excessive litigation after elections reflects widespread public suspicion that court decisions can be manipulated for political purposes.
Drawing comparisons with other African countries, he said many democracies on the continent rarely experience the level of election-related litigation common in Nigeria.
Recalling an interaction with a South African official, Jonathan said the official appeared surprised that defeated politicians in Nigeria routinely challenge election outcomes in court.
“At the end of every round of elections, the number of cases that go to courts is overwhelming,” he noted.
“I asked this lady how they do in South Africa, how to manage this electoral litigation. The lady asked me, ‘Why would somebody go to court after losing an election?’”
Jonathan said the response exposed how abnormal Nigeria’s political reality has become.
“Some of the people who go to court, even their family members won’t vote for them, but they go to court simply because we believe that the judiciary could be manipulated to declare people who are not supposed to win the election as those who have won the election,” he added.
He warned judges against allowing the judiciary to become an instrument for political manipulation.
“The courts must never become instruments for political manipulation or partisan interests,” he cautioned.
Beyond criticism, Jonathan proposed sweeping reforms to Nigeria’s electoral adjudication system, suggesting the creation of a constitutional court or a specialised tribunal solely dedicated to election disputes.
According to him, such reforms would reduce conflicting judgments, improve electoral transparency and restore public confidence in democratic institutions.
The former president also lamented Nigeria’s consistently low voter turnout despite being Africa’s most populous nation.
“While we claim to be the most populous country in Africa, in terms of voter turnout, Nigeria has the least for this period,” he stated.
Jonathan pointed to Senegal’s recent election as evidence that credible polls could be conducted even without sophisticated technology if political actors and institutions commit themselves to fairness and transparency.
“The last election in Senegal, there was no technology used at all, but everybody decided to do the right thing,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, former Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed Adoke criticised the increasing monetisation of Nigeria’s political process, warning that exorbitant nomination fees and excessive campaign spending were gradually shutting out competent Nigerians from active political participation.
READ ALSO: INC to parties, political actors: Shun thuggery, ensure peaceful environment
“Excessive monetisation of the political process has been a mitigating factor to effective participation and should be addressed,” Adoke said.
He also faulted the growing use of consensus arrangements within political parties, arguing that the practice often undermines internal democracy and replaces transparent competition with the imposition of preferred candidates.
Similarly, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, expressed concern over what he described as the increasing judicialisation of Nigeria’s democratic process.
According to Osigwe, nearly three decades after Nigeria returned to civilian rule, democratic institutions still appear fragile and vulnerable to manipulation.
“It speaks volumes about the worries of Nigerians that the democratic process may have become more judicialised,” he said.
He warned that violence, thuggery and electoral manipulation continue to threaten democratic governance despite constitutional provisions guaranteeing civilian rule.
Osigwe, however, praised Jonathan’s conduct during the 2015 presidential transition, describing him as a symbol of democratic maturity and peaceful leadership after conceding defeat without plunging the country into crisis.
As political realignments continue ahead of the 2027 elections, Jonathan’s remarks are expected to further intensify conversations around electoral reform, judicial independence and the urgent need to strengthen democratic institutions in Nigeria.