Justice Nnamani Critiques Judicial Influence on Elections

Justice George Nnamani, President of the Enugu State Customary Court of Appeal, expressed concern over the "judicialisation of elections" in West Africa during his keynote address at the fourth edition of the Civil Society Week for West Africa (CSWWA 2026) on October 20. He warned that this trend undermines citizens' democratic agency as courts increasingly replace electoral management bodies in determining electoral outcomes, party registrations, and candidate eligibility.

Nnamani highlighted the importance of financial autonomy for the judiciary to protect it from external pressures and praised the Enugu State Government for its implementation of judicial autonomy. Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change, reported a 700 percent increase in judicially backed human rights violations, emphasizing the use of legal mechanisms to suppress public movements and delegitimize opposition.

She condemned strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) aimed at silencing dissent and urged participants to develop strategies to strengthen judicial independence.