Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Wednesday declared that courts should not be allowed to determine the winners of elections in Nigeria.

Falana insisted that the involvement of the judiciary in Nigeria’s democratic process should be limited because it’s making a mockery of the citizen’s choices.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Sunrise Daily, the activist lawyer noted that there are no indications that the judiciary is positioned to address the challenges that could arise in the 2027 general elections.

According to Falana: “There is no indication yet that the Nigerian judiciary is positioned to address some of the challenges that may emanate with respect to some of the elections likely to take place in January and February next year.

“For me, the first matter to address is the role of the judiciary in the electoral process in Nigeria. We must stop the practice whereby the court determine the winners of the election in Nigeria.”

Falana insisted that the judiciary should not be allowed to hide under technicalities to make a mockery of those duly elected by Nigerians.

He stressed on the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and relevant stakeholders to ensure the conduct of proper elections devoid of electoral irregularities.

Falana added: “We just had an election in Osun State, forget all the shortcomings, at the end of the day, the beauty of it will be that the governorship election will not go to court because the people have decided, they have elected their leader so no court should be allowed to hide under technicalities to make a mockery of the popular choice of the people.

“So for me, the role of the judiciary must have to be extremely limited in the democratic process in our country. Again that depends on the media, INEC, and all concerned Nigerians to ensure that elections are conducted, no fake results are announced, so that you limit the area that people might want to go to tribunal, the regular court, or the appellate court. We must start with the conduct of good elections so that our courts are limited in the democratic process.”

The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Ugboaja, is dead. Ugboaja, the fifth General Secretary of the NLC, died after a protracted illness.

Report says NLC President Joe Ajaero read a letter from the late General Secretary’s family to members of the Congress National Executive Council (NEC), who are meeting in Enugu, Enugu State.

The late General Secretary was a veteran trade unionist and lawyer who was appointed NLC General Secretary in August 2019.

Ugboaja was born on May 15, 1966, and obtained a law degree from the University of Calabar in 1987. After spending about four years in private legal practice, he entered the trade union movement in 1993.

The NLC’s historical biography describes him as the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union.

His first major union position was with the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), an NLC affiliate. He rose through the organisation and served as its General Secretary from 2000 to 2005.

Civil-Society and Political Experience

Ugboaja’s career was not confined to conventional trade unionism.

From 2006 to 2009, he served as Coordinator, Advocacy and Mobilisation, at the Alliance for Credible Elections, a civil-society organisation focused on electoral issues.

He subsequently joined the NLC Secretariat in 2009.

Ghana Rejects MTN Financial Support For Victims Of Xenophobic Attacks In South Africa

The Government of Ghana has declined a GHS20 million donation offered by MTN Ghana to support Ghanaian victims of the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, saying it has already made adequate financial provision for the evacuation and reintegration of affected citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a press statement issued in Accra on Wednesday said it had become aware of media reports indicating that MTN Ghana was preparing to donate GHS20 million to Ghanaian victims of the attacks.

According to the ministry, the reports appeared to attribute the announcement of the intended donation to an interview granted by the MTN Board Chairman, Dr. Ishmael Yamson.

While acknowledging the gesture, the government said it had decided not to accept the financial support.

“The Government of Ghana commends MTN for the offer, however, we respectfully decline,” the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the John Mahama Administration had already made adequate provision for the ongoing evacuation and reintegration of Ghanaians affected by the attacks.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms that the Mahama Administration has made adequate provision for ongoing evacuations and reintegration of Ghanaians and is therefore unable to accept this offer,” it said.

The ministry further disclosed that the government’s position had previously been communicated directly to MTN’s leadership during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), on August 14, 2026.

“This position of the Government of Ghana had earlier been directly conveyed to the Board Chair and CEO of MTN when they called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP) on August 14, 2026,” the statement said.

The government, however, stressed that it remained committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Ghanaians being brought back from areas where they faced danger.

“Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana remains fully committed to current humanitarian evacuations and reintegration financial support for every Ghanaian brought back from harm’s way,” the ministry said.

It also pledged to disclose the total expenditure incurred on the evacuation exercise after its completion, describing the planned disclosure as part of its commitment to transparency and accountability.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures that it will present to the general public a comprehensive account of the total cost of evacuations as soon as the exercise is concluded, in the interest of transparency and accountability,” it added.

The government also sought to reassure international businesses operating in Ghana that it would continue to support their operations irrespective of their countries of origin.

“Government will continue to create the best business ecosystem for all international brands operating in Ghana to succeed, irrespective of which country their businesses originated from,” the ministry said.

It added: “The welfare of all Ghanaians remains our utmost priority.”

The government’s decision comes amid concerns over the safety and welfare of Ghanaians affected by the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, with authorities undertaking evacuations and reintegration efforts for citizens brought back from harm’s way.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government’s existing arrangements were sufficient to cover the humanitarian response, making it unnecessary to accept the proposed MTN donation.

Earlier in July, fresh diplomatic tensions emerged between Ghana and South Africa after the Ghanaian government reportedly declined to host South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for a planned state visit, citing concerns over the reported killing of a Ghanaian citizen and alleged xenophobic attacks against its nationals.

The decision follows the death of 40-year-old Bashiru Isak, whom Ghana says was killed during demonstrations associated with renewed attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa on June 30, 2026.

Officials in Accra said the postponement of the visit reflects Ghana’s growing concern over the security of its citizens residing in South Africa. They maintained that ensuring the safety of Ghanaians abroad must take precedence over high-level diplomatic engagements.

President Ramaphosa had been expected in Ghana during the first week of August for a state visit aimed at reinforcing the longstanding relationship between both countries. The visit was also expected to provide an opportunity for discussions on bilateral cooperation and concerns surrounding attacks on foreign nationals.