Human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has criticised the state of Nigeria’s judiciary, arguing that the institution has lost some of the credibility and independence it once commanded.
Farotimi made the remarks in a statement shared on social media on Sunday while reflecting on the state of the judiciary and the rule of law in Nigeria.
According to the activist, the judiciary has become increasingly compromised, raising concerns about its ability to effectively uphold constitutional principles and protect citizens’ rights.
Farotimi contrasted the current situation with the era of military rule, acknowledging that military governments routinely ignored court orders and used ouster clauses to prevent certain decisions from being subjected to judicial review.
Despite those limitations, he argued that judges at the time still maintained a level of institutional standing that, in his assessment, is missing in the present system.
“When our judiciary was worthy of the name, in the heyday of the military bandits that ruled Nigeria, the rulers routinely ignored court orders and ruled with ouster clauses,” Farotimi said.
He accused the present judiciary of complicity in a system he described as operating on a “corrupt mandate.”
Farotimi, a long-standing advocate of judicial and institutional reform, has repeatedly raised concerns over accountability, the independence of democratic institutions and the enforcement of the rule of law in Nigeria.
