The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned judges who may be appointed to serve on election tribunals for the 2027 general elections to be mindful that their conduct will be closely scrutinised by the public.
Kekere-Ekun gave the warning on Wednesday at the flag-off ceremony of the 2026/2027 legal year of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja.
She noted that some judges of the court could, in accordance with the law, be appointed to serve as members of election petition tribunals.
The CJN stressed that the politically sensitive nature of election cases, which usually attract considerable public attention, required judges handling them to demonstrate a high degree of impartiality, restraint and detachment.
“As we approach another electoral season, these responsibilities assume even greater importance,” she said.
“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.”
Kekere-Ekun also cautioned lawyers against using the Bar to manipulate judicial processes for partisan or strategic purposes.
She said the appropriate forum for a case should be determined by law rather than 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,” she said.
“Where there are genuine concerns about judicial conduct, the appropriate institutional channels remain available and should be used.”
The CJN urged lawyers to avoid duplicating court actions, warning that such practices could lead to conflicting judgments, undermine public confidence and expose the judiciary to disrepute.
She maintained that the judiciary must remain intellectually prepared to confront modern challenges while ensuring that its decisions remained anchored in the Constitution, applicable legislation, binding precedent and established principles of judicial reasoning.
Kekere-Ekun also cautioned lawyers on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), saying that while the technology could be useful for research, it must not replace their professional responsibility to verify information.
She warned that AI systems could generate apparently authoritative but non-existent cases, inaccurate decisions and wrongly attributed quotations.
“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 disposed of 2,236 cases across its judicial divisions in the past 12 months.
He said the development had significantly reduced the court’s historical backlog despite the pressure caused by the volume of cases before it.
“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,” he said.
Kanyip, however, expressed concern over the poor utilisation of the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre by litigants and their counsel.
He disclosed that only 31 cases were referred to the ADR Centre across the court’s various judicial divisions during the last legal year.
