Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has criticised religious leaders for praying for politicians he described as criminals.
Obi said such practices, alongside what he described as declining standards in the judiciary and electoral system, showed that Nigeria was facing a serious crisis.
He spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, Bauchi State.
Speaking on the theme, “Beyond elections, can political parties and the judiciary save African democracy?”, Obi questioned the role of religious leaders and the judiciary in the country’s political system.
“Our religious leaders are now praying for criminal politicians for blessings. We have a crisis. And above all, our judges are now singing on your mandate,” he said.
Obi also recalled his legal battle after the 2019 presidential election, saying he spent three years in court challenging his defeat.
According to him, five judges whom he had never met personally delivered judgments in his favour during the case.
“I was in court for three years challenging my election; five judges that I never met for one day gave judgment in my favour. It cannot happen in Nigeria of today,” he said.
The former governor also raised concerns over what he described as the weakening of Nigeria’s electoral safeguards.
He alleged that lawmakers had removed forgery as an offence in electoral matters, while lawyers continued to defend cases involving alleged forgery.
Obi warned that the consequences of allowing such practices to continue would eventually be borne by future generations.
“We need to reverse this because the abuse we are allowing today will take its revenge on our children,” he said.
The dialogue was organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation to examine the challenges confronting democracy, particularly the roles of political parties and the judiciary beyond elections.
