Since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999, elections have become routine, but so have disputes over their outcomes, with more politicians increasingly turning to the courts.

Election petition cases have risen sharply, from about 400 after the 1999 polls to more than 1,200 following the 2023 general elections, raising concerns about the credibility of the process. 

On Nigeria Daily today, we examine whether the courts have become a parallel route to power and what this trend means for Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.