Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, has described the FCT Area Council elections held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, as “treason against democracy,” warning that the 2027 general elections will be “more terrible and brazen.”
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In a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, Okutepa condemned the conduct of the elections, describing it as “democratic sabotage” and “gangsterism in practice.”
Okutepa argued that the declaration of a work-free day by the FCT Minister on Friday, February 20, 2026, was a prelude to the alleged rigging that took place.
“The declarations of work-free day on Friday February 20th 2026 by FCT minister was the prelude for the rigging that took place on Saturday 21st February, 2026. To call what happened on Saturday 21st February 2026 election is completely an abuse of language,” he stated.
The senior lawyer said what happened was never a free, fair and credible election.
“What happened on Saturday was never a free fair and credible election. It was democratic sabotage where people were prevented from coming out to vote due to unlawful and unconstitutional declarations of work-free day and restrictions of movement of people on the day of election.”
Okutepa expressed grave concerns about the state of democracy in Nigeria.
“Nigerian democracy is in danger. It is currently on life support and those in power have decided to sabotage the growth of democracy in Nigeria. INEC staff were equally not alive to their responsibility in some cases.
“The mutilation of election results and arbitrary additions of votes as seen on forms EC8As on social media points to the points that I am making. Those who engage in this democratic imposition have committed treason against the people and against Nigerian constitution.”
The senior advocate argued that the alleged electoral malpractices were unconstitutional.
“The Nigerian constitution provides that Nigeria shall be a democratic state and that sovereignty belongs to the people. It provides that no part of Nigeria shall be taken over or governed otherwise than by democratic means.
“Stealing and stuffing ballot papers, thumb printing ballot papers to adding votes to make a particular person or party rejected by the people to be declared winner are all acts of democratic oppression and corruption. It is unconstitutional and treasonable felony.”
Okutepa urged Nigerians to speak the truth about what happened.
“Rather than commending what happened in FCT on Saturday and called it election we should have the boldness and courage to call it what it is. It was treason against democracy. It was treason against the constitution. It was treason against the people of Nigeria.
“It was a clear case of democratic thuggery and thuggish imposition and not election rooted within the meaning of acceptable democratic principles. It was a show of force in sabotage of democracy. Nobody should beat his chest to have done well.”
The senior lawyer criticised the Nigerian opposition.
“The Nigerian opposition is weak and they have allowed themselves to be captured by those they once hobnobbed together. Internal wrangling among political gladiators in the opposition has greatly diminished the legitimacy of the oppositions. The oppositions are not united to wrestle power from those abusing it. Opposition is in disarray.”
Okutepa lamented the lack of political education.
“There is no political education. Politicians across divide are not ready for political education. Nobody is investing in political education that improves development of democracy.
“Rather political leaders have heavily impoverished the people that poverty has now become the most potent political tool for undemocratic imposition of leadership.”
The senior advocate called for technological solutions.
“For democracy to thrive in Nigeria we must reject manual collation of votes. We must demand and insist that any votes that has mutilations, cancellations, alterations and subtractions should not count and must not be counted.
“INEC leadership must have the liver and courage of convictions to cancel results that have alterations, cancellations, mutilations and such other interlineations on the face of electoral forms. At this age of technology it is even a shame for us to be using forms to conduct elections.”
In a follow-up post, Okutepa highlighted what he described as evidence of manipulation.
“Total valid votes 211. But one political party scored 1,212 votes. Yet someone asked if I voted in the sham election. There is no decent politics in Nigeria. What Nigerian politicians practice in most cases is gangsterism.
“Politics does not mean unethical behaviour, indiscipline and sabotage of due process as we see in Nigeria.”
Okutepa clarified his political stance.
“I am not a member of any political parties in Nigeria. My party is Nigeria. Nigeria belongs to all of us. We must develop it through due process and the rule of law. We have fundamental rights to express our views. We see evil we call it what it is. No amount of baptismal name we give to wrongs that can make it right.”
The senior advocate concluded with a scathing assessment.
“We keep deceiving ourselves that we practice democracy. No we are not. It is gangsterism in practice. There is no need wasting humongous amount of money on elections.
“Let us allow those in power to coronate those they want to coronate and then spare the lives of innocent people who are being deceived that their votes matter or count. Votes in Nigeria hardly count. See for yourself. Let us speak out. The world is watching us.”
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