Former Liberian President George Weah has warned African leaders against treating electoral victories as a licence to weaken democratic institutions, stressing that an elected leader who governs like a dictator remains a tyrant.
Weah made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with the theme, “Beyond Limits.”
The former Liberian leader said threats to democracy extend beyond military coups and defeated politicians who refuse to accept election results. He warned that elected governments could also gradually erode democratic governance by weakening institutions such as the Judiciary and Legislature.
According to Weah, leaders who exert pressure on the Judiciary until it bends to their will, or transform the Legislature into an “echo chamber”, pose a serious threat to constitutional democracy.
“A Tyrant with a certificate of return is still a tyrant,” Weah declared
He urged lawyers and other professionals to remain vigilant in defending democratic institutions, arguing that democracy cannot be sustained by elections alone.
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Weah said strong institutions capable of restraining political power and protecting citizens’ rights were essential to ensuring that democracy remained meaningful beyond the electoral process.
He also challenged lawyers and judges to remain impartial, courageous and independent in discharging their duties, describing an independent Judiciary supported by a fearless legal profession as indispensable to democratic governance.
The former president warned against attempts by governments to manipulate the Judiciary or compromise judicial independence for political purposes. He stressed that judicial decisions should take effect on law rather than 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 placing democratic principles above personal ambition.
He recalled congratulating his successor, Joseph Boakai, before the final results were formally announced, saying he took the step because “the will of the people must stand above the ambitions of any one man.”
Weah urged African lawyers to regard themselves as a critical line of defence against executive overreach, stressing that democracy must be defended continuously and not only during elections.
His address came as the NBA conference examined the role of the legal profession in strengthening democracy, upholding the rule of law and building institutions capable of holding governments accountable.
