Centre for Nigeria Progress

There’s a certain irony in invoking Hungary as a cautionary tale for democratic backsliding, strongman politics, and the slow suffocation of institutions—because, if we’re being honest, the prototype has been quietly stress-tested in Lagos for over two decades.Call it federalism’s favourite loophole: build a state so politically airtight that it becomes a personal estate—complete with …

Continue reading "Hungary Happened in Lagos First by Lawson Akhigbe"

In any functioning democracy, the journey from idea to law is not supposed to be a stealth operation. A bill is introduced, it goes through readings, and—crucially—it arrives at the committee stage. That is the moment the doors are flung open (at least in theory), and citizens, experts, lobbyists, busybodies, and professional complainers are all …

Continue reading "Democracy by Ambush: When Laws Are Baked Without Tasting by Lawson Akhigbe"

This article has been written in light of the recent statement of the Nigeria Bar Association on the activities of politicians, political parties, lawyers and the judiciary on the matter of litigation of alleged "internal affairs of political parties" There is a seductive legal maxim often recited with the confidence of scripture: where there is …

Continue reading "Courts, Parties, and the Convenient Fiction of “Internal Affairs” by Lawson Akhigbe"

There is a peculiar Nigerian pastime: when politicians lose an argument in a party meeting, they immediately develop an intense, almost romantic attachment to the judiciary. Suddenly, men who cannot tolerate a ward congress without throwing chairs become apostles of constitutionalism—filing suits faster than INEC can misplace a document. Justice James Omotosho This raises a …

Continue reading "Courts, Constitutions, and Chaos: Who Really Runs Political Parties? By Lawson Akhigbe"