The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has raised concerns over what it described as growing judicial interference in the internal affairs of political parties, warning that the trend poses a threat to Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association said it had been monitoring recent political and legal developments, particularly those linked to the interpretation and application of provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The NBA cited Section 83 of the Act which bars courts from entertaining cases relating to the internal affairs of political parties, stressing that the law also prohibits courts from granting interim or interlocutory injunctions in such matters.

It expressed concern that despite these provisions, some lawyers continue to file suits on intra-party disputes, while courts allegedly grant orders in violation of the law.

According to the association, such actions undermine the rule of law and risk turning the judiciary into a tool for political manipulation and “electoral advantage”.

“This emerging trend of subverting the clear letters of the Electoral Act and dragging courts into the internal affairs of political parties through disingenuous litigation, forum shopping, and malafide applications designed to secure undemocratic political advantage, bodes no good for our democracy,” the statement said.

The NBA warned that it would take disciplinary action against legal practitioners found to be engaging in such conduct, including filing petitions before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC.

It also called on the judiciary to exercise restraint and resist being drawn into political disputes clearly barred by law, urging judges to adhere strictly to statutory provisions.

On the electoral body, the NBA tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to remain neutral and avoid actions that could undermine political pluralism or public confidence in the electoral process.

It noted that the INEC chairman, as a legal expert, is expected to uphold constitutional principles and ensure that the commission’s conduct strengthens democratic norms.

Pope Leo XIV embarks Monday on an 11-day visit to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea for his first major international trip since becoming pontiff last year.

From dialogue with Islam to peace efforts, inequality and human rights, the US-born pontiff will address a myriad of issues as he covers more than 18,000 kilometres (11,000 miles) across the African continent.

Leo, who took over as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May, will make 11 speeches, preside over seven masses and visit a dozen locations during the trip which lasts until April 23.

The 70-year-old’s words and actions, always closely watched, will have even deeper resonance at a time of deep global uncertainty caused by the Middle East war and resulting energy shock.

It will be Leo’s third trip outside Italy, after Turkey and Lebanon last year, and Monaco in March.

Algeria (13-15 April) – Making history

Leo will be the first pope to go to the North African country of Algeria, where Islam is the state religion.

He will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He will also meet members of the Augustinian order to which the pontiff belongs, in Annaba, the one-time home of Saint Augustine.

The pope is “a brother who comes to visit his brothers”, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the archbishop of Algiers, told AFP ahead of the visit.

Leo will pray privately in a chapel dedicated to 19 priests and nuns murdered during Algeria’s 1992-2002 civil war.

Ahead of the visit, three international NGOs called on the pope to raise concerns about the treatment of religious minorities with Algeria’s authorities.

READ ALSO: World Bank Urges Smarter Growth Strategies, Says Policy Reforms Key To Africa’s Future


Cameroon (15-18 April) – Call to peace

A call to peace and reconciliation is expected to dominate the pope’s visit to majority-Christian Cameroon in central Africa, where the English-speaking northwest has been torn apart by nearly a decade of conflict.

The Catholic Church has played a mediating role in the conflict and the centrepiece of Leo’s visit will be a speech and mass in Bamenda, the epicentre of the violence, to be held under heavy security.

Leo will visit some of the Church’s vast network of hospitals, schools and charitable organisations in Cameroon, where about 37 percent of the 30 million inhabitants are Catholic.

And he will meet with President Paul Biya, 93, one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state who has at times faced criticism from senior Cameroonian clergy over his hold on power.

Angola (18-21 April) – Natural resources

The visit to Angola, a former Portuguese colony in southern Africa, will be a chance for Leo to expound on social themes dear to his heart.

The country is rich in oil and minerals but plagued by poverty, and still scarred by a long civil war that ended in 2002.

Leo is expected to emphasise the need for a more equitable distribution of the wealth from natural resources, as well as the fight against corruption.

His presence is eagerly awaited by Angolan Catholics, who make up around 44 percent of the population, but some are less enthusiastic.

“At the societal level, it represents nothing, because millions of dollars will be taken from the state treasury to prepare, without bringing any benefits to our country,” teacher Rosa Kanga, 42, told AFP.

Leo will visit the capital Luanda — where affluent neighbourhoods contrast with vast slums — but also venture outside. He will go to a centuries-old church on a former slave-trafficking route in the village of Muxima, one of the holiest sites in southern Africa.

Equatorial Guinea (21-23 April) – Balancing act

Leo’s visit to Equatorial Guinea, which has been under iron-fisted rule by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo since 1979, will require a delicate balancing act.

Some 80 percent of the two million inhabitants are Catholic, but Jean-Paul II is the only pope to have visited, almost half a century ago.

Leo will have to tread carefully between trying to support local Catholics and being seen as endorsing the authoritarian government. Many expect him to deliver a message on human rights and social justice.

In Malabo, recently downgraded as the country’s capital by presidential decree, giant photos of the pontiff were displayed across the city ahead of Leo’s arrival, with national television broadcast adverts about the trip on loop.

AFP

A former commander of Operation Safe Haven, Major General Henry Ayoola (rtd), has dismissed claims that Nigerian soldiers purchasing personal military kits is evidence of systemic failure within the armed forces.

His comments come after a viral interview by a former soldier, Rotimi Olamilekan, popularly known as Soja Boi, who alleged that personnel buy uniforms, boots, and bulletproof vests despite low pay.

Ayoola, while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Morning Brief on Friday, explained that it is not unusual for personnel to supplement standard-issue equipment with personal purchases.

“The idea of a soldier, out of personal choice, spending money to improve their kit beyond the standard issue should not be a big deal,” he said.

He insisted that such actions do not indicate that authorities are failing in their responsibility to equip troops.

“It does not mean the system is not working. There is a standard kit that the Armed Forces provide, and that has not changed,” Ayoola argued.

According to the former commander, every soldier is entitled to a baseline level of equipment under what is known as a “full-service matching order”.

“There is a minimum standard of kit that every soldier must be given. It is not true to say that authorities are not kitting soldiers,” he added.

Ayoola acknowledged that operational realities sometimes affect the availability of equipment but emphasised that commanders make efforts to optimise resources.

“When equipment is limited, it is rationalised. There is innovation, and sometimes troops make do with what is available,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army on Tuesday dismissed allegations that its personnel purchase uniforms and protective equipment with personal funds, describing the claims as false and misleading.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no soldier is deployed to an operational theatre without the necessary protective equipment,” a statement from the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Appolonia Anele, read.

Security Challenges: A Power Struggle
Beyond the controversy over military equipment and uniforms, Ayoola argued that the broader challenge facing Nigeria is often misunderstood and misrepresented.

He maintained that insecurity in the country should not be viewed solely through a military lens but rather as part of a deeper structural issue.

“What we are dealing with in Nigeria is not just a security challenge. The adversary has shaped a narrative that we have come to accept without properly interrogating it,” he said.

According to him, the crisis reflects a wider struggle rooted in power dynamics and competing ideologies.

“The real issue is a political power problem. The Nigerian situation is a local manifestation of a global trend—a clash of civilisations,” Ayoola stated.

He criticised the country’s approach to tackling insecurity, noting that the failure to clearly define the problem has led to ineffective solutions.

“You cannot solve a problem you have not defined. What we have been doing is like cutting branches without uprooting the tree,” he said.

On concerns about troop vulnerability, including ambush incidents, Ayoola pointed to increasing technological support in military operations.

“There has been increased use of ISR—Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance—drones to cover flanks and move ahead of troops, which helps minimise ambushes,” he said.

He insisted that while improvements are always needed, the narrative that soldiers are left entirely unequipped is inaccurate.

Ayoola stressed that a lack of consensus on who the country’s true adversaries are continues to undermine national security efforts.

“If we cannot clearly define who the enemy is and what they want, then we will continue chasing shadows,” he warned.