The National Legal Adviser of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, says the rule of law in Nigeria now exists only on paper, alleging that the three arms of government no longer demonstrate fidelity to constitutional principles.
Osunbor, a former governor of Edo State and ex-senator, made the assertion on Thursday in Lagos at a one-day colloquium titled “The Rule of Law in Contemporary Nigeria: An In-depth Analysis”, organised to mark the 90th birthday of Chief Oladipo Jimilehin.
He said that while past governments, including military regimes, showed some level of respect for the rule of law, the situation had worsened under the current democratic dispensation.
According to him, the National Assembly has lost its independence and has become a “rubber stamp” of the executive arm, approving presidential requests without adequate scrutiny.
Osunbor cited instances where, in the past, the legislature asserted its authority, including overriding presidential vetoes and rejecting some ministerial nominees, adding that such practices had largely disappeared.
He also criticised lawmakers for what he described as abandonment of their constituents’ mandates, alleging that some legislators now openly claim allegiance to the President’s mandate rather than that of the electorate.
On the judiciary, Osunbor said recent developments suggested that the courts were no longer as decisive in upholding constitutionalism and checking executive excesses as they once were.
He expressed concern over delays in hearing politically sensitive cases and alleged non-implementation of certain Supreme Court judgments, which he said had weakened public confidence in the justice system.
Osunbor warned that persistent disregard for constitutional provisions by the executive, legislature and judiciary could undermine democracy and lead to instability.
He called for urgent corrective measures to restore respect for the rule of law, insisting that no democracy could thrive where constitutional limits were routinely ignored.
