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Kudirat Kekere-Ekun says judges who serve on election tribunals must remain impartial, while lawyers must avoid forum shopping and personal attacks on judges.
Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has warned judges who may serve on election petition tribunals during the 2027 elections that their conduct will face close scrutiny.
She gave the warning on Wednesday at the opening of the 2026/2027 legal year of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja.
Kekere-Ekun said some NICN judges could be called upon to serve on election tribunals under the constitutional and legal framework governing electoral disputes.
She said the politically sensitive nature of election cases required judges to demonstrate a high degree of impartiality, restraint and detachment.
The CJN also warned judges against conduct that could create a reasonable perception of political alignment.
She said their associations, public engagements and other conduct would be closely scrutinised when they sit either at the NICN or on election tribunals.
CJN Warns Against Political Perception
Kekere-Ekun said judges handling electoral disputes must ensure that their conduct does not undermine confidence in the judicial process.
The warning comes as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather pace and election-related litigation is expected to attract significant public attention.
The CJN said judicial decisions must remain anchored in the Constitution, applicable legislation, binding precedent and established principles of judicial reasoning.
Her message therefore extended beyond election tribunals to the wider responsibility of judges to protect judicial independence and public confidence.
Lawyers Told To Avoid Forum Shopping
The CJN also cautioned lawyers against using multiple courts or divisions to pursue potentially conflicting proceedings.
She said lawyers should not duplicate cases in the hope of obtaining a more favourable outcome from a particular judge or court.
Kekere-Ekun warned that forum shopping and parallel proceedings capable of producing conflicting orders could damage public confidence and expose the judiciary to avoidable embarrassment.
She also defended lawyers’ right to criticise judgments and judicial proceedings but said that right did not extend to personal attacks on judges, deliberate misrepresentation of proceedings or attempts to pressure courts through public opinion.
She urged lawyers with genuine concerns about judicial conduct to use the appropriate institutional channels.
NICN Disposes Of 2,236 Cases
The warning came as the NICN reviewed its performance during the previous legal year.
President of the court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, said the court disposed of 2,236 cases across its judicial divisions during the past 12 months.
He said the figure represented a significant reduction in the court’s historical backlog and credited the judges with maintaining their commitment despite the volume of cases before them.
Kanyip said the court recorded a significant increase in its case-disposal rate compared with previous years.
He also reaffirmed the importance of judicial independence to the effective administration of labour justice.
ADR Centre Records Low Usage
Despite the improvement in case disposal, Kanyip raised concerns over the limited use of the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre.
Only 31 cases were referred to the ADR Centre across the court’s judicial divisions during the previous legal year.
The figure highlights a gap between the court’s efforts to promote alternative dispute resolution and its use by litigants and their lawyers.
Kanyip said ADR remained an important component of labour justice and that judicial efficiency could not depend entirely on conventional litigation.
AGF Calls For Faster Justice
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, also stressed the importance of timely resolution of employment disputes.
Fagbemi, who was represented at the ceremony by Acting Director of Civil Appeals, Tijani Gazali, said delays could have serious consequences for both workers and employers.
A worker whose employment has been terminated may face prolonged uncertainty over livelihood, while employers can face uncertainty affecting business decisions and investment.
He said technology deployed by the court could improve efficiency but needed to be supported by effective case management, adequate personnel, professional discipline and cooperation between the Bench and Bar.
Judiciary Faces Greater Scrutiny Ahead Of 2027
The CJN’s warning places judicial conduct at the centre of preparations for the next electoral cycle.
Election tribunals will be expected to resolve disputes involving politically significant contests, often under intense public and political pressure.
Kekere-Ekun’s message was that judges must protect both the substance and perception of judicial independence.
For lawyers, the warning also places greater emphasis on professional conduct in politically sensitive cases.
The combined message from the CJN and NICN leadership is that efficiency alone will not determine public confidence in the judiciary.
The conduct of judges, the professionalism of lawyers, the quality of decisions and the transparency of judicial processes will all shape how Nigerians assess the courts as the country moves towards the 2027 elections.
