The law serves the executive – El-Rufai raises alarm of alleged corruption in judiciary

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has alleged that widespread corruption and inefficiencies within the Nigerian judiciary are eroding public confidence in the system. Speaking during the Law Week event organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Bwari branch in Abuja, el-Rufai criticised the state of justice in Nigeria, claiming that it favours the rich and powerful while failing the average citizen.

El-Rufai, who holds a Law degree from the University of London, said delayed justice, procedural bottlenecks, and perceived judicial compromise have become commonplace, leading to growing public disillusionment. He noted that ex parte orders are increasingly being misused in political cases, and accused some lawyers of exploiting the judiciary for political advantages.

“In parallel, our judiciary, meant to be the bedrock of fairness and order, is under intense scrutiny,” he said. “Concerns about delayed justice, procedural inefficiencies, and in some cases, judicial compromise (to put the matter delicately), erode public confidence.”

The former governor lamented the prevalence of forum shopping and what he described as the weaponisation of ex parte orders, stating that the legal system has diverged significantly from the ideals of justice. “The growing perception that justice is for sale and available only to the rich and powerful would cause the perceptive observer to conclude that what Nigerian courts do is the administration of law and not the administration of justice,” he said.

El-Rufai added that there is now a “seemingly unbridgeable gulf” between law and justice in Nigeria, with judicial outcomes often appearing to reflect the preferences of the executive rather than impartial legal reasoning. He called on legal professionals to reflect deeply on the role of justice in the country. “The demand on you, as practitioners in the temple of justice, is a sober introspection as you contemplate whether indeed Justitia is blind and whether she holds the scales of justice in fine balance,” he said.

He also directed criticism at the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing it of failing in its mandate to maintain disciplinary oversight of judges. He cited opaque judicial appointments, inconsistent electoral rulings, and lenient treatment of erring judges as symptoms of institutional failure. “If we must be honest, we must admit that the perception of a high level of judicial corruption is now mainstream,” he said.

According to el-Rufai, the NJC has lost credibility and is in urgent need of reform. He said the reverence once held for judges has disappeared. “Once upon a time, ordinary citizens tiptoed past the homes of judges. Not any longer. Now, judges are abused and maligned with almost reckless abandon. They are physically and mentally assaulted, sometimes roundly disrespected by the ordinary citizenry. How indeed are the mighty fallen.”