Former Liberian President, George Weah, has warned African leaders against using electoral victory as a licence to undermine democratic institutions, saying an elected leader who governs like a dictator remains a tyrant. Weah gave the warning while delivering the Keynote Address at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with the theme, “Beyond Limits”.
Weah said the threat to democracy was not limited to military coups or defeated politicians refusing to accept election results, stressing that elected leaders could gradually undermine democracy by weakening the Judiciary and Legislature. According to him, leaders who lean on the Judiciary until it bends to their will, or turn the Legislature into an “echo chamber”, pose a serious danger to democratic governance.
“A tyrant with a certificate of return, is still a tyrant”, Weah declared, urging Lawyers and other professionals to remain vigilant in defending constitutional democracy. He said democracy could not survive merely on the strength of elections, but required strong institutions capable of restraining political power and protecting citizens’ rights.
The former Liberian leader also challenged Lawyers and Judges to remain impartial and fearless in the discharge of their duties, insisting that an independent Judiciary protected by a courageous legal profession, is essential to every democracy. He warned against governments that manipulate the Judiciary or compromise judicial independence for political purposes, stressing that court decisions must have effect without requiring political approval.
Weah, who served as Liberia’s President from 2018 to 2024, cited his acceptance of defeat in the November 2023 Presidential election, as an example of putting democratic principles above personal ambition. He recalled that he congratulated his successor before the final results were formally announced, saying he did so because “the will of the people must stand above the ambitions of any one man”, in a democracy.
He therefore, urged African Lawyers to see themselves as a critical line of defence against executive overreach, saying democracy must be protected every day and not only during elections. Weah’s message came as the NBA Conference focused on the role of the legal profession in strengthening democracy, the rule of law and institutions capable of holding governments accountable.