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.
Di Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, don warn judges say make dem no allow politicians to use di courts to gain unfair advantage as di country dey move towards di 2027 general elections.
She talk dis one for Abuja on Monday at di opening of di 2026 Roundtable for Heads of Courts, wey di National Judicial Institute (NJI) organise.
Di CJN name three practices wey she say must dey watched closely: forum shopping (shopping for a court wey likely go give favourable ruling), hiding related cases from a judge, and attempts to obtain conflicting orders from courts of di same level.
She talk say such conduct dey damage di judiciary because e dey undermine consistency and drag di courts into public controversy.
"No litigant should be permitted to manipulate di judicial system in search of a favourable decision," she talk, adding say public confidence in di courts go dey tested during di election period.
Why e matter to ordinary Nigerians
Election disputes often dey decide who go govern states and di country. When courts issue conflicting orders, di confusion fit delay results, unsettle businesses and keep citizens guessing about dia leaders.
Justice Kekere-Ekun talk say election-related cases dey attract intense public interest and heavy pressure on judges. She insist say political sensitivity or di urgency of an application must never replace careful application of di Constitution, di Electoral Act and court rules.
She ask heads of courts to scrutinise applications carefully, demand full disclosure of facts and resist di use of urgent applications or ex parte orders (orders wey dem make without hearing di other side) to secure improper advantage.
She also direct dem to put systems in place so election cases go dey handled competently and quickly.
On delays, di CJN talk say timely justice remain one of di judiciary's biggest challenges, wey dey burden litigants financially and emotionally. She blame poor docket management, repeated adjournments and failure to track inactive cases, and ask every head of court to know di number and age of pending cases.
She caution say speed alone no be enough: cases must still dey decided fairly, with di right to fair hearing protected.
She also order heads of courts to make judges sit on time and to inform lawyers and litigants promptly when dem cancel sitting. She describe as unacceptable a situation where parties travel long distances at great expense only to find say court no go sit.
"Punctuality must be treated as a professional obligation, not a matter of personal preference," she talk.
On appointments, she urge heads of courts to resist outside pressure and ensure say dem choose judges on merit, character and competence.
She talk say di Supreme Court start to use di Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS) on 1 July 2026, and say e don spread to High Courts in Borno, Bayelsa, Delta, Niger, Taraba and Ebonyi states, as well as di Federal High Court's Lagos division. She ask other courts to adopt am.
On artificial intelligence, she talk say judges must keep personal responsibility for dia decisions.
Di NJI Administrator, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, talk say di judiciary dey under constant public scrutiny and praise di CJN's reforms.
Wetin go happen next
Di CJN ask di heads of courts to leave di roundtable with clear, workable priorities on case management, punctuality, digital records and discipline. She talk say progress should dey judged "not merely by di directives issued, but by di changes those directives produce in di daily operation of di courts."
