Rescue Nigeria’s Judiciary Now, Niger Delta Activist Urges Tinubu
Sylvester Idowu in Warri
A Niger Delta-born human rights and peace advocate, Mulade Sheriff has urged President Bola Tinubu to rescue the independence and integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary.
He emphasised the importance of the judiciary as a pillar of democracy and the last hope of the common man.
Mulade in a statement made available to journalists in Warri yesterday expressed worries over recent contentious judgement in some of the courts.
Appealing to Tinubu to restore confidence in the judiciary, he said: “Mr. President, it has become necessary to formally appeal to you to salvage our judiciary which is the core of society and democracy.
“A fair and independent judiciary ensures fairness, equity, and justice for all Nigerians. Without it, our democratic system is at risk of crumbling under the weight of political interests.”
He lamented that Nigerians were deeply worried about some recent judgments that have created confusion, chaos, and threatened to erode the reverence and trust in the justice system.
According to him, “Nigeria’s judiciary has been the beacon of hope, not just for Nigerians, but for the African continent. However, political interference and vested interests are putting our judicial integrity under severe pressure.
“We are witnessing a worrying trend where the judiciary is being politicized, and certain judgments are driven by political interests rather than the rule of law.”
Mulade further highlighted a troubling pattern in which Judges, particularly in the Federal and State High Courts, dismiss public-interest cases on technical grounds.
“It is alarming how often cases of national importance are dismissed based on technicalities, preventing the judiciary from addressing the real merits of the case. This practice frustrates the hopes of ordinary Nigerians seeking justice.
“I want to strongly appeal to the president and our revered Judges to save the integrity of the Nigeria judiciary irrespective of tribe, religion and political affiliation.
“It is worthy of note that the failure of the Nigeria judiciary will create room for chaos and anarchy that will lead to self-defence by Nigerians. Therefore, political judges in the judiciary should be made to resign to save our justice system and the people before mass protest,” he stated.
