CJN warns judges against forum shopping ahead of 2027 election cases
- Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun told heads of courts in Abuja to resist attempts to manipulate the courts for political gain.
- She warned against forum shopping, hidden related cases and conflicting orders from courts of equal standing.
- She also directed judges to sit on time and notify lawyers promptly when sittings are cancelled.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned judges not to allow politicians to use the courts to gain unfair advantage as the country heads towards the 2027 general elections.
She spoke in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the 2026 Roundtable for Heads of Courts, organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
The CJN named three practices she said must be watched closely: forum shopping (shopping for a court likely to give a favourable ruling), hiding related cases from a judge, and attempts to obtain conflicting orders from courts of the same level.
She said such conduct damages the judiciary because it undermines consistency and drags the courts into public controversy.
"No litigant should be permitted to manipulate the judicial system in search of a favourable decision," she said, adding that public confidence in the courts will be tested during the election period.
Why it matters to ordinary Nigerians
Election disputes often decide who governs states and the country. When courts issue conflicting orders, the confusion can delay results, unsettle businesses and keep citizens guessing about their leaders.
Justice Kekere-Ekun said election-related cases attract intense public interest and heavy pressure on judges. She insisted that political sensitivity or the urgency of an application must never replace careful application of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and court rules.
She asked heads of courts to scrutinise applications carefully, demand full disclosure of facts and resist the use of urgent applications or ex parte orders (orders made without hearing the other side) to secure improper advantage.
She also directed them to put systems in place so election cases are handled competently and quickly.
On delays, the CJN said timely justice remains one of the judiciary's biggest challenges, burdening litigants financially and emotionally. She blamed poor docket management, repeated adjournments and failure to track inactive cases, and asked every head of court to know the number and age of pending cases.
She cautioned that speed alone is not enough: cases must still be decided fairly, with the right to fair hearing protected.
She also ordered heads of courts to make judges sit on time and to inform lawyers and litigants promptly when a sitting is cancelled. She described as unacceptable a situation where parties travel long distances at great expense only to find the court will not sit.
"Punctuality must be treated as a professional obligation, not a matter of personal preference," she said.
On appointments, she urged heads of courts to resist outside pressure and ensure judges are chosen on merit, character and competence.
She said the Supreme Court began using the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS) on 1 July 2026, and that it has spread to High Courts in Borno, Bayelsa, Delta, Niger, Taraba and Ebonyi states, as well as the Federal High Court's Lagos division. She asked other courts to adopt it.
On artificial intelligence, she said judges must keep personal responsibility for their decisions.
The NJI Administrator, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said the judiciary is under constant public scrutiny and praised the CJN's reforms.
What happens next
The CJN asked the heads of courts to leave the roundtable with clear, workable priorities on case management, punctuality, digital records and discipline. She said progress should be judged "not merely by the directives issued, but by the changes those directives produce in the daily operation of the courts."
