By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Abuja
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, warned on Wednesday that judges appointed to election tribunals will be closely monitored.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony of the 2026/2027 legal year of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), the CJN, who noted that some judges of the court could be called upon to serve as members of Election Petition Tribunals, stressed that the nature of such an assignment demands a great degree of impartiality and restraint.
She equally implored lawyers to avoid duplicating court actions, which could lead to conflicting judgments capable of not only damaging public confidence but also exposing the judiciary to disrepute.
The CJN maintained that the court must remain intellectually prepared to meet modern-day challenges while ensuring that its decisions remain firmly anchored in the Constitution, applicable legislation, binding precedent and established principles of judicial reasoning.
She said, “As we approach another electoral season, these responsibilities assume even greater importance.
“Some of your lordships may, in accordance with the applicable constitutional and legal framework, be called upon to serve as members of election petition tribunals.
“In that capacity, Your Lordships will be called upon to decide politically sensitive disputes which attract considerable public attention.
“The nature of such assignments therefore demands an even greater degree of impartiality, restraint and detachment.
“Whether sitting in this Court or performing a Tribunal assignment, you must remain conscious that your conduct will be closely scrutinised.
“You must ensure that nothing in your associations, public engagements or other conduct creates a reasonable perception of political alignment or predisposition.
“The Bar must never become an instrument through which the judicial process is manipulated for partisan or strategic purposes.
“The proper forum is determined by law, not by the perceived likelihood of success before a particular judge or court.
“There is also a need for restraint in public commentary. The right to criticise a judgment or judicial process does not extend to personal attacks on Judges, deliberate misrepresentation of proceedings or attempts to bring pressure to bear on the Court through public opinion.
“Where there are genuine concerns about judicial conduct, the appropriate institutional channels remain available and should be used,” the CJN added.
She also cautioned lawyers on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), noting that although it could be a handy research tool, it should not, however, displace their professional responsibility.
“An AI system may produce an answer that appears authoritative, complete with names of parties, citations, quotations and even a seemingly convincing account of the decision.
“That does not make the authority genuine. A non-existent case, an incorrectly stated decision or a quotation attributed to a judgment in which it does not appear has no place in a court process.
“For counsel, the consequences can be serious,” the CJN warned.
In his address, the President of the NICN, Justice Benedict Kanyip, disclosed that the court was inundated with cases in the past legal year.
According to him, over the past twelve months, a total of 2,236 cases were disposed of across the judicial divisions of the court, significantly cutting down its historical backlog.
“Despite the pressure occasioned by this, my colleagues, in their characteristic manner, demonstrated unwavering commitment to duty and concluded significant numbers of these cases.
“I am pleased to report that through the dedication of our judges, we achieved a significant increase in case disposal rates compared to previous years.”
However, he decried the poor utilisation of the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre by litigants and their counsel.
He noted that only 31 cases were referred to the ADR Centre across the various judicial divisions of the court in the last year.
“We must note that ADR is a valid and special component of, especially, labour justice delivery. Judicial efficiency cannot rely on litigation alone.
“Despite our efforts to promote ADR in the Court, we have not received any reciprocity in that regard from litigants and their counsel,” the NICN President stated.
While the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, pledged the continued support of the Federal Government to the court, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, stressed that Nigerian labour jurisprudence must remain dynamic but firmly rooted in the rule of law.
Dignitaries at the legal year ceremony, which was preceded by the official commissioning of the court’s headquarters building, included former CJNs Justices Mahmud Mohammed and Walter Onnoghen; the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongbam-Mensen; and several Senior Advocates of Nigeria and lawyers.
