The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, issued a stern warning to judicial officers and legal practitioners to desist from actions suggesting partisan alignment or manipulating court processes as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
​Speaking on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Justice Kekere-Ekun delivered the keynote address at the official commissioning of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) Headquarters building and the ceremonial commencement of its 2026/2027 Legal Year in Area 3, Garki, Abuja.
​Addressing a gathering of senior jurists, including the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, and former CJNs Justices Mahmud Mohammed and Walter Onnoghen, the CJN emphasized that judges who serve on Election Petition Tribunals will face strict oversight.
​”As we approach another electoral season, these responsibilities assume even greater importance,” Justice Kekere-Ekun stated. “Whether sitting in court or performing a tribunal assignment, you must remain conscious that your conduct will be closely scrutinized. The nature of such assignments demands an even greater degree of impartiality, restraint, and detachment.”
​Turning to lawyers, the CJN cautioned against forum shopping, duplicate filings, and the abuse of court processes designed to secure conflicting judgments for political advantage. She warned that such tactics erode public trust and bring the administration of justice into disrepute.
​In addition, Justice Kekere-Ekun urged legal practitioners to exercise caution when leveraging modern technologies, warning specifically against the uncritical reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI). She noted that AI systems can generate fictitious case citations and non-existent legal precedents that risk misleading the courts.
​Also speaking at the event, the President of the National Industrial Court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, acknowledged that while judicial independence is sacred, it demands accountability and intellectual rigor.
​Justice Kanyip expressed concern over the underutilization of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms by legal counsel, revealing that only 31 cases were referred to the court’s ADR Centre across all divisions during the preceding legal year. He called on lawyers to adopt ADR channels to ease caseload burdens and expedite dispute resolution.
​Justice Kekere-Ekun concluded her address by reiterating that all judicial decisions leading up to and during the 2027 electoral period must remain strictly grounded in the Constitution, applicable statutes, binding precedents, and established principles of law.
