By Chinedum Treasure
Human rights lawyer and lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on Nigeria’s judiciary to uphold its independence, warning that any erosion of public confidence in the courts could threaten the country’s constitutional democracy.
In a statement titled “When the Last Temple of Justice Trembles: Judicial Independence and the Survival of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy,” Ejiofor said recent court decisions on politically sensitive matters have sparked legal debate and raised concerns about judicial independence.
He questioned reports of a Federal High Court proceeding despite a subsisting Court of Appeal order and another judgment that reportedly set aside an earlier ruling directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
Ejiofor stressed that under Nigerian law, courts become functus officio after delivering final judgments and can only revisit such decisions in exceptional circumstances recognised by law.
He noted that the Supreme Court recently reaffirmed this principle by rejecting an application seeking to review one of its final judgments.
He warned that democracy weakens when institutions lose their independence, describing the judiciary as the nation’s last line of defence against abuse of power.
The senior lawyer urged the National Judicial Council (NJC), led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to continue promoting judicial accountability while safeguarding judicial independence.
Ejiofor also paid tribute to late Justices Chukwudifu Oputa, Niki Tobi and George Adesola Oguntade, describing them as symbols of integrity and judicial courage.
He maintained that the future of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy depends on judges who uphold the Constitution without fear or favour, urging Nigerians to continue demanding justice that is both done and seen to be done.
Tags: Judiciary, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Nigeria, Democracy, NJC
