By Muhammad Mamman
the TAP Initiative, a leading pro-democracy, human rights, and anti-corruption advocacy group, has declared that Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun’s first year in office has delivered little in the way of transformative judicial reform. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja to mark the jurist’s one-year anniversary, the group lamented a reliance on rhetoric over robust action.
Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, sworn in as Nigeria’s 23rd Chief Justice and the second woman to hold the post by President Bola Tinubu on 24 August 2024, pending Senate confirmation in September, has faced mounting expectations to tackle systemic judicial challenges. However, TAP Initiative’s Executive Director, Martin Obono, painted a sobering picture: “Justice Kekere-Ekun has eloquently highlighted the judiciary’s woes but has shown scant evidence of implementing meaningful reforms.”
Last year, TAP Initiative, alongside civil society groups, senior legal experts, and academics, set out a clear reform agenda: curbing the misuse of ex-parte orders by politicians, enforcing judicial discipline, rolling out digital courts, and rebuilding public trust amid persistent allegations of corruption and bias. One year on, Mr Obono declared, “The rhetoric has been bold, but tangible progress remains frustratingly out of reach.”
Persistent Problems, Meagre Progress
The abuse of ex-parte orders in political cases remains unchecked, with no new guidelines or policies announced to address the issue. Mr Obono also pointed to the judiciary’s staggering backlog of over 243,000 pending cases in higher courts. While the Supreme Court Rules 2024 introduced electronic filing, fast-tracked criminal appeals, and tighter procedural timelines, no clear strategy or updates on reducing this backlog have emerged.
On judicial misconduct, Mr Obono was blunt: “Judges caught in wrongdoing too often receive a mere slap on the wrist rather than facing criminal prosecution.” He acknowledged some steps under the Chief Justice’s leadership, such as the National Judicial Council’s (NJC) recommendation to retire the Chief Judge of Imo State and eight others for falsifying birth dates to extend their tenures. The NJC also sanctioned Justice T. N. Nzeukwu for improperly positioning himself as acting Chief Judge and suspended Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for a year, placing him on a five-year watchlist and barring him from promotion for procedural failings. Similarly, Justice Jane E. Inyang of the Court of Appeal, Uyo, faced a year’s suspension without pay for issuing improper ex-parte orders.
“These measures are a start, but they fall woefully short,” Mr Obono insisted. “Many of these offences are criminal in nature, and the Chief Justice should be pushing for prosecution by law enforcement, not just internal sanctions.”
A Risk-Averse Approach
While commending Justice Kekere-Ekun for overseeing retirements linked to age falsification, Mr Obono described her leadership as “cautious and risk-averse,” leaning heavily on speeches and moral persuasion rather than bold structural reforms. “For a judiciary grappling with a crisis of confidence, this simply isn’t enough,” he concluded.
