Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has severely criticized the Nigerian judiciary, asserting that it has been “deeply compromised” and transformed into a “court of corruption rather than a court of justice.” In his recent book, *Nigeria: Past and Future*, Obasanjo expresses deep concern over the steady decline of the Nigerian judiciary’s integrity, lamenting that justice has effectively become commodified within the nation. He highlights the rapid and precipitous fall in the judiciary’s reputation, particularly noting its deterioration during the Fourth Republic.

Obasanjo underscored the significant threat that this decline in the judiciary poses to Nigeria’s overall stability. To illustrate the profound depth of corruption, he recounted an incident where a governor allegedly showed him six duplex buildings belonging to a judge, purportedly acquired with money earned as chairman of various election tribunals. This anecdote serves as a stark example of the systemic issues Obasanjo believes plague the judicial system.

Furthermore, Obasanjo extended his criticisms to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu. He accused Yakubu of consistently undermining the electoral process since 2015, which he claims has resulted in a “polluted and grossly undermined” electoral system that politicians now perceive as a charade. This lack of confidence, Obasanjo suggests, makes politicians doubt the legitimacy of the electoral outcomes.

The former president also alleged that many politicians operate under the belief that the resolution of election disputes is heavily dependent on the discretion and will of judges across various levels, including tribunal judges, court of appeal judges, and Supreme Court judges. He contended that, regardless of the electorate’s true will, the INEC chairman, since the 2015 elections, has managed to elevate his own will above that of the Nigerian people.

Adding to his series of accusations, Obasanjo directly implicated the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging collusion with the judiciary during his own election cases. Obasanjo claimed that Buhari “threw caution to the wind,” financially rewarding judges who “did his bidding” and topping up these financial incentives with appointments for them, irrespective of their age or rank. These allegations paint a picture of a deeply entrenched system of corruption and manipulation within Nigeria’s key democratic institutions.