By Michael Oche
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressing concern over what it described as recent democratic developments in Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to safeguard constitutional governance, judicial independence and political pluralism ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a letter addressed to the President and copied to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the continental labour body said recent political and institutional developments, viewed collectively, raised concerns about the country’s democratic trajectory and required urgent national attention.
Signed by the General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, Akhator Joel Odigie, the letter noted that Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest democracy and one of the continent’s leading political and economic powers made the country’s democratic stability critical not only to its citizens but also to the wider West African and African regions.
The organisation cited assessments by international democracy monitoring bodies, including the 2026 Freedom in the World report by Freedom House, which classified Nigeria as “Partly Free” with an overall score of 44 out of 100. According to ITUC-Africa, the report identified concerns relating to political rights, judicial independence, corruption, civic freedoms and electoral integrity.
ITUC-Africa also drew attention to recent court judgments directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister some political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). It said the decisions had generated widespread legal and public debate because of their potential implications for political pluralism and electoral competition ahead of the 2027 elections.
While stressing that it was not commenting on the legal merits of any case before the courts, the organisation said recurring litigation involving opposition parties, conflicting judicial pronouncements in politically sensitive matters and growing public debate over the neutrality of constitutional institutions could weaken public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic system if left unaddressed.
“Democracies are sustained not only by constitutional legality but equally by public trust in the fairness, independence and impartiality of the institutions entrusted with administering the entire processes,” the letter stated.
The regional labour organisation explained that its intervention was consistent with the historic role trade unions have played across Africa in defending constitutional governance, democracy, social justice and the rule of law.
It also referenced the 2026 ITUC Global Rights Index, which reported continued deterioration in democratic governance and labour rights globally, including concerns over freedom of association, civic space and trade union rights in Nigeria.
According to ITUC-Africa, its continental early warning mechanism, established to monitor developments in democracy, governance, labour rights and constitutional order across Africa, had identified emerging trends in Nigeria that warranted careful attention as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
The organisation called on President Tinubu to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to constitutional democracy by ensuring that political pluralism is protected, civic space remains open, opposition political parties are allowed to participate freely within the law, and all state institutions discharge their constitutional responsibilities without actual or perceived political influence.
It also appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the judiciary to continue safeguarding the independence, integrity and impartiality of the courts, describing the judiciary as a critical guardian of constitutional order and public confidence in the rule of law.
ITUC-Africa maintained that Nigeria had historically provided leadership in promoting democracy, peace and regional cooperation across Africa and expressed confidence that the country’s institutions possessed the capacity to address the concerns in a manner that would strengthen, rather than weaken, its democratic legacy.
The organisation reaffirmed its readiness to continue engaging constructively with the Nigerian government, organised labour, the judiciary, civil society and other stakeholders in advancing constitutional governance, social dialogue, decent work and democratic accountability across the continent.
