Judicial impunity threatens democracy, SAN warns

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Charles Mekwunye, has called for reforms in Nigeria’s judiciary and electoral adjudication system, warning that judicial compromise remains one of the greatest threats to the country’s democracy. Mekwunye made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Agbor Branch, Delta State, themed “Future Proofing Nigeria’s Democracy: Credible Elections and the Legal Cross-Roads.” The senior lawyer expressed concern over what he described as the role of some judicial officers in undermining the electoral will of Nigerians through controversial court decisions, insisting that judicial officers who deliberately pervert justice in election-related matters must be held accountable. “There must be consequences for judicial officers who betray their oath and use their enormous powers to pervert the electoral will of the people. The era of impunity must end,” Mekwunye said. He commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for recent disciplinary actions against some judges, including suspensions and compulsory retirements, describing the measures as a positive development. “The actions taken by the Chief Justice of Nigeria are a step in the right direction,” he said, adding that more comprehensive reforms were necessary to rebuild public confidence in the judiciary. Mekwunye advocated a review of the rules governing petitions against judicial officers before the National Judicial Council, arguing that the current requirements discouraged whistleblowers from exposing corruption within the judiciary. According to him, the obligation on petitioners to disclose their identities and depose to affidavits often placed them at risk. “Most people with relevant information are inhibited by these rules. They serve no useful purpose other than protecting the minority of judicial officers working against the interest of the judiciary and Nigeria,” he stated. The SAN also proposed extending the time limit for filing complaints against judicial officers from six months to three years, saying such a move would encourage greater accountability. On the issue of criminal prosecution of judges, Mekwunye criticised the Supreme Court’s decision in Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Justice H.A. Nganjiwa, which held that serving judicial officers could not be prosecuted for acts connected with their official duties unless they had first been disciplined by the NJC. He described the judgment as unconstitutional and argued that it effectively grants judges a form of immunity not recognised by