Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has described the All Progressives Congress, APC’s use of consensus for governorship primaries, especially in Ogun State, as “extortion” and “plutocracy” that undermines democracy.

Falana spoke on Thursday at the 8th Penpushing Annual Lecture held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, themed“Restoring Electoral Integrity: The Path to Good Governance and Public Accountability.”

He argued that electoral integrity cannot exist without transparent party primaries.  

“Please, let us stop deceiving ourselves. If you are going to talk about electoral integrity, you must start with the primaries,” he said.  

According to him, consensus arrangements deny party members the right to freely choose their candidates, even though the Electoral Act allows both direct and consensus methods.

The SAN also raised alarm over what he called growing threats to Nigeria’s multi-party system, warning that deregistering political parties and blocking others from elections could trigger a political crisis.  

“Political exclusion has historically encouraged undemocratic forces to undermine democratic institutions across Africa,” Falana said.

He further condemned the monetisation of politics, citing the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who alleged that some governorship aspirants spent between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion during primaries.  

“If you are spending between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion on a primary election, how much are you going to spend in the real election?” he asked.  

Falana alleged that such huge sums could not have come from legitimate sources, and that the practice promotes corruption and weakens democracy.

He called for urgent reforms to strengthen internal party democracy, curb the commercialisation of politics, and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.

A disagreement ensued between former Kaduna Central senator Shehu Sani and Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday over the opposition’s decision to hire a United States lobbying firm to push for the release of documents relating to President Bola Tinubu’s alleged drug trafficking case, with both men disagreeing on the implications of the move for Nigeria.

The exchange followed reports that Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., a Washington-based lobbying firm engaged by Atiku, had begun distributing United States Department of Justice records on alleged drug trafficking involving Tinubu to officials in the Donald Trump administration, members of Congress and senior congressional aides.

Reacting on his X account on Wednesday, Sani criticised the move, describing it as unpatriotic and capable of damaging Nigeria’s international standing.

“Engaging US lobby groups to criminalise the President and his administration and curry favour from the US Government is unconscionable and unpatriotic,” he wrote.

According to the former lawmaker, such actions could expose Nigeria to diplomatic consequences without achieving their intended objective.

“It may not achieve its objectives but will undoubtedly damage the international reputation of the country, escalate global repudiation against our citizens and lead us into the traps of sanctions and visa restrictions,” Sani said.

He added that opposition parties should pursue power through democratic means within Nigeria rather than seeking foreign intervention.

“The opposition should fight and struggle for power within the borders of our country. Seeking foreign help for regime change in a democratic setting is wrong,” he stated.

Responding shortly afterwards, Ibe defended the decision to retain a lobbying firm, arguing that there was nothing improper about the move.

“There’s nothing wrong with hiring a lobbyist, especially when you are confronted with a dictatorship,” he wrote.

Ibe also alleged that the Tinubu administration had previously spent public funds on lobbying in the United States.

“Recall that six months ago, Tinubu splurged $9 million of Nigeria’s hard-earned money on a US lobby firm,” he said.

The Atiku aide argued that the real issue was Tinubu’s past forfeiture of $460,000 to US authorities over alleged drug trafficking, insisting Nigerians had a right to know the contents of the FBI and DOJ records.

“Do Nigerians deserve to know what is in the FBI and DOJ files about Tinubu? Yes. Nigerians are entitled to know everything about their President or a prospective President,” Ibe said.

He further challenged Tinubu’s supporters to allow the release of the records if they had “nothing to hide.”

Ibe also ended his response with a personal remark directed at Sani, referencing what he described as “unfinished business” dating back to Sani’s chairmanship of a Senate ad hoc committee that investigated former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.

“I will encourage you to honour your outstanding commitment to me. I don’t want it to be a subject of public discussion,” he wrote.

Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has said that he’s not interested in contesting for the presidency, saying he is satisfied with his current life and has no intention of seeking Nigeria’s highest political office.

Fashola made the declaration during an interview on TVC on Wednesday, where he dismissed speculation linking him with a presidential bid.

Asked if he would contest for president, the former minister gave a direct response: “No.”

When the interviewer sought further clarification on whether he was considering the presidency, Fashola replied with a smile, “President of what? I’m president at home.”

Reflecting on his over two decades in public service, the former Lagos governor described his career as an extraordinary privilege and expressed hope that his journey would inspire younger Nigerians.

“My journey has been an unimaginable privilege, and I hope that it, in some way, inspires another generation about the possibilities of this country,” he said.

Fashola added that Nigeria remained a country where people could rise from humble beginnings to positions of prominence.

“Particularly because when we celebrate dreams across the Atlantic, our country is also a place where there are so many stories of rags to riches and grass to grace. I hope that it inspires another generation,” he said.

On how he would like to be remembered, Fashola declined to shape his legacy, saying history should make its own judgment.

“Let history write whatever history wants to write. It is not in my place,” he said.

The former minister also declined to revisit debates over his preferred successor before the 2015 Lagos governorship election, refusing to comment on speculation involving Deputy Governor Kadri Hamzat and former Attorney-General Olasupo Sasore.

Fashola confirmed that he remains a member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council, stressing that there is “a thin line between intervention and interference.”

He also called for stronger public confidence in the judiciary, advocated a vibrant opposition to deepen democracy, urged greater national consensus on key policy issues, backed the establishment of state police while cautioning it would not be a quick fix to insecurity, and attributed Lagos’ recurring flooding partly to indiscriminate waste disposal despite the state’s coastal geography.