A lawyer and political activist, Dele Farotimi, has argued that Nigeria has never truly operated a democratic system, describing what exists as a “performative shadow” of democracy.

Farotimi made the claim during an interview on News Central Television, where he said Nigeria’s electoral process functions more as a ritual than a genuine democratic exercise.

According to him, the system allows individuals who should be disqualified under electoral laws to still assume public office, with institutions later validating the outcome.

He cited examples within the National Assembly, including Senate leadership figures, arguing that some individuals who emerged into office were allegedly ineligible under provisions of the Electoral Act.

“When you focus on the presidency, you lose sight of the emergence of people like Godswill Akpabio and Ahmed Lawal… They were expressly disqualified by the provisions of the Electoral Act. But they ended up in the Senate, and the court endorsed it,” he said.

Farotimi also criticised the judiciary, alleging that it often legitimises outcomes already determined outside legal processes.

He claimed that rather than acting as an independent arbiter of law and equity, the courts have become institutions that “rationalise what has already been done.”

“So, you had a situation where our judicial system has become an instrument for working from the answer to the question,” he said.

The activist maintained that focusing only on presidential elections ignores deeper structural issues within Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems, which he believes undermine democratic credibility.