Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has warned lawyers against forum shopping in political and electoral disputes ahead of the 2027 elections.
Delivering her address at the special session of the Supreme Court marking the commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year on Monday,
Kekere-Ekun said forum shopping by lawyers could lead to conflicting court
orders and undermine the administration of justice.
“They must therefore exercise restraint, avoid political
association or conduct capable of creating an appearance of partiality and
remain firmly within the boundaries imposed by their oath and the
Constitution,” she said.
“There is also a need for greater professional
responsibility by lawyers in the institution of proceedings arising from
political and electoral disputes.”
The CJN described forum shopping as “the deliberate choice
of commencing an action in a court or division perceived to be more favourable
to a particular party” or “the institution of multiple proceedings seeking
substantially similar reliefs”.
She said the practice “can result in conflicting orders,
undermine orderly judicial process and expose the judiciary to avoidable
embarrassment”.
“It can also create the unfortunate impression that parties
are seeking not justice according to law but a particular outcome from a
particular court,” she added.
Kekere-Ekun said lawyers must exercise professional
judgement before commencing proceedings, particularly where related cases are
already pending before another court.
“The duty of counsel to the court requires full candour as
to the existence of related proceedings and respect for the jurisdiction and
processes of other courts,” she said.
She added that the responsibility of lawyers extends beyond
securing an immediate advantage for their clients to protecting “the integrity
and orderly functioning of the judicial process”.
The CJN also warned that the judiciary could become
overwhelmed by political disputes as the country approaches another electoral
season.
“The judiciary must approach such matters with the same
calmness, detachment and fidelity to the law that it brings to every other
dispute,” she said.
She added that the urgency or public prominence of political
litigation “should not come at the expense of other legitimate claims awaiting
determination”.
DELAY IN JUDICIARY FUNDING
Kekere-Ekun also raised concerns over delays in the release
and disbursement of funds appropriated for the judiciary, saying the problem
affects the implementation of projects and the effective administration of
justice.
“There are instances in which provision has been made in the
approved budget and the necessary approvals obtained, but the funds are not
thereafter released or disbursed when they are required,” she said.
“Delayed release has practical consequences: projects are
deferred, procurement cycles are disrupted and the real value of appropriated
funds is eroded by inflation and rising costs.
“There must therefore be a reliable and predictable
mechanism for the timely release and disbursement of funds duly appropriated
for the judiciary.”
Kekere-Ekun said the challenge is more pronounced at the
state level, adding that judicial independence requires adequate institutional
support
“Judicial independence must therefore be more than a
constitutional expression,” she said. “It must be supported by the
institutional conditions necessary for the Judiciary to discharge its
constitutional responsibilities effectively, independently and with integrity.”
‘SUPREME COURT HANDLED 2,456 CASES IN ONE LEGAL YEAR’
The CJN said the supreme court handled 2,456 matters during
the 2025/2026 legal year, compared with 2,280 in the preceding legal year.
She said the court delivered 411 judgements during the
period, compared with 369 judgements and rulings in the previous legal year.
Kekere-Ekun said the figures showed the court’s level of
activity but acknowledged that more work remained to be done, particularly in
managing pending cases.
“These figures provide a useful measure of institutional
activity, but they cannot tell the full story,” she said.
She said the court had taken steps to address its backlog,
including scheduling older cases for hearing, disposing of dormant matters and
removing concluded cases from its active docket.
According to her, the e-diary office scheduled 1,385 matters
for regular sittings between March 23 and December 17, 2026, comprising 1,021
motions and 364 appeals.
She said 733 of the matters were older cases brought forward
for hearing, while 178 dormant matters were disposed of in chambers.
The CJN said another 125 matters that had already been
concluded were identified and removed from the active pool.
“These measures reflect a more deliberate approach to
managing our docket: identifying what is truly pending, bringing older matters
forward, dealing appropriately with moribund matters and removing concluded
matters from the active list,” she said.
Kekere-Ekun said the court would continue to tackle its
backlog through disciplined case management, effective deployment of judicial
resources and continuous review of its processes.
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