By Ekunkonye Junior, Abuja
The National President of the Society for Advancement of Democracy, SAD, Prince Orji Nwafor-Orizu, has said the judiciary should not be blamed for controversial rulings, arguing that poor case presentation by lawyers is responsible for many “mid” judgments in Nigeria’s courts.
Speaking with journalists in his chamber on 2026 Democracy Day, Nwafor-Orizu assessed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s performance and turned to the judiciary when questioned on public trust in court decisions.
He described the judiciary as “like a policeman who is invited to the scene of a fight after the fight has ended.” According to him, judges can only rule based on what lawyers present, not on facts lawyers fail to bring before the court.
“Judiciary is like a woman, what they are given is what they deliver,” Nwafor-Orizu said. He insisted that most of the problems people attribute to the judiciary actually stem from lawyers who do not prepare or argue cases properly.
Citing the 2023 presidential election petition, he said lawyers failed to pursue critical areas of their case. “They bring 17 or 27 people to come and give evidence in 36 states. Now, for that reason, they didn’t pursue the area, and they expect the Supreme Court to do the case for them. No,” he stated.
He gave the example of the Imo State governorship case, alleging that the petitioner’s lawyers did not inform the Supreme Court that the total votes claimed exceeded the voter register for the state. When the petitioners later sought a review, he said the court found a mistake but could not correct it.
Nwafor-Orizu stressed that the judiciary remains independent and does not belong to President Tinubu or the APC. He pointed to rulings against the ruling party in cases involving Labour Party, ADC, and internal PDP disputes as proof that courts decide based on evidence presented.
On the 14-day rule for pre-election matters under the Fifth Alteration, he blamed lawyers for filing cases late. “There is a fifth alteration that says that they must go to court within 14 days, or they lose their right. When they now start filing cases after 14 days, they will throw them away,” he explained.
He acknowledged that there may be a few corrupt judges, but said the National Judicial Council, NJC, has been suspending or removing those found culpable. For him, the bigger challenge lies with the Nigerian Bar Association and lawyers failing to do their jobs diligently.
Turning to President Tinubu, Nwafor-Orizu gave mixed assessments. He praised the removal of petrol subsidy for improving state allocations, noting that states now share “up to 2, 3 trillion naira every month” instead of the previous N500 million. However, he questioned whether borrowed funds are being used wisely.
He was more critical on democracy and insecurity, accusing the Tinubu administration of trampling on democratic processes and failing to declare a “war” against insecurity. He warned that allowing governors to control state police would create “emperors of the state” and muffle opposition.
On 2027 politics, the SAD president praised Labour Party’s Peter Obi as the brightest among current candidates, citing his record in Anambra State. He also said the South East deserves the presidency, noting that other zones with equal or smaller populations have produced presidents except the Igbo.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to hold lawyers and politicians accountable for their role in court outcomes. “When you are talking about the judiciary, talk also about the NBA, my colleagues, because you care from doing their jobs,” Nwafor-Orizu said.
