The Selectorate: When Judges Topple the People

Across Africa, the shift from authoritarian rule to elective civilian government has brought new challenges. Among them is the judiciary’s evolving role in political outcomes. Judges, once constrained arbiters of electoral disputes, have become increasingly unconstrained in determining who holds power—shifting legitimacy from voters to the courts. In some cases, this influence has extended beyond the courtroom, creating a system where a small, connected elite decides leadership under the cover of legal process.

In The Selectorate, Chidi Odinkalu examines how this shift took root, with Nigeria’s judiciary playing a leading role in setting the precedent. Drawing on legal insight and first-hand experience, he unpacks the consequences of this quiet transformation and what it means for both judicial independence and the future of democracy in Africa.