- Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, criticized financial barriers in Nigeria’s political system.
- He highlighted that the high costs of presidential election candidacy exclude ordinary citizens from participation.
- Falana raised concerns about the fairness of financial requirements for political aspirants.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has criticised what he described as financial barriers within Nigeria’s political system, warning that the high cost of contesting presidential elections shuts out ordinary citizens.
He made this known during a recent public commentary on electoral reforms, where he questioned the fairness of requirements that demand huge financial commitments from aspirants.
Falana noted that the financial realities of running for office in Nigeria contradict the principles of equal political participation. According to him, the system favours wealthy individuals while discouraging professionals and young leaders from aspiring to the nation’s highest office.
“If you look at that law, it’s saying if you want to contest for the Presidency of Nigeria, you must have 10 billion naira or I think 5 billion naira. That already excludes professors, workers, lawyers and the majority of Nigerians who are not billionaires. Democracy is supposed to give every citizen a fair chance to lead, but when the cost of participation is this high, it becomes a system designed only for the rich.”
Falana’s comments reflect his earlier position in 2022, when he criticised the ₦100 million presidential nomination forms sold by major political parties, describing them as immoral and unconstitutional, and arguing that such fees discriminate against ordinary Nigerians.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission has not issued an official response, Falana insisted that reducing financial barriers is key to strengthening democratic participation and restoring public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.
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