BAR AND BENCH BOMBSHELL: About 15% of judiciary is clean, two women at the top should clear the rot - Senator AKINYEDE

Sola Akinyede, a lawyer and former senator, views the current leadership of Nigeria's judiciary and bar associations by women as a profoundly historic moment. He asserts that women, by nature, are nurturing and tend to prioritize societal care over personal gain, making them less susceptible to compromising rules for financial advantage. Akinyede draws a parallel to the tenure of Justice Aloma Mukhtar, Nigeria's first female Chief Justice, whom he regards as a fearless, independent, and incorruptible figure.

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Nigerians are not fools. Nigerians can see what is happening.

Under Justice Mukhtar's leadership, Akinyede notes, more judges faced reprimand and removal than in the preceding 10 to 15 years, marking her tenure as highly impactful. He is optimistic that the current female leaders of both the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will similarly strive to leave a positive legacy and nurture society, building on this precedent.

However, Akinyede voices significant concern regarding the public's diminishing confidence in the Nigerian judiciary. He contends that Nigerians are not oblivious to perceived shortcomings and that widespread cynicism, visible on social media, stems from justifiable reasons. He criticizes instances such as a Supreme Court justice wearing a cap associated with a political slogan and decisions in politically charged cases that appear detached from reality.

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When you go on social media, you see a lot of cynicism. Sometimes you see something that is disturbing. You see a judge of the Supreme Court with an ‘Emilokan’ cap on his head. I don’t like that. But that shows the contempt to which Nigerians hold the judiciary.

Akinyede specifically cites the 2020 Imo governorship election ruling and a Supreme Court decision that granted tickets to senators who did not participate in primaries, using technicalities. He also points to conflicting judgments from the Court of Appeal in Kano's 2023 governorship cases, where APC candidates were declared elected in oral judgments but faced different outcomes in certified true copies. These examples, he argues, erode public trust and demonstrate a disconnect between judicial pronouncements and public perception.

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The Supreme Court, in some political cases, has given decisions that have no bearing with reality.