Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has raised concerns over the state of Nigeria’s judiciary, stating that the institution—tasked with upholding justice and order—is now facing heightened public scrutiny.
He made this statement while speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Law Week hosted by the Bwari Branch in Abuja on Monday.
El-Rufai said that widespread corruption, undue political influence, and judicial delays have made many Nigerians lose faith in the courts.
According to him, people now see the judiciary not as a source of justice, but as a tool used by the wealthy and powerful to protect their interests.
He noted, “Concerns about delayed justice, procedural inefficiencies, and in some cases, judicial compromise (to put the matter delicately), erode public confidence.”
The former governor went further to criticize the use of ex parte orders, particularly in political cases. He said that some lawyers and judges are using these legal tools not to serve justice, but to gain political advantage.
“The rise in forum shopping, the weaponisation of ex parte orders in political matters, and the growing perception that justice is for sale and available only to the rich and the powerful would cause the perceptive observer to conclude that what Nigerian courts do is the administration of law and not the administration of justice,” El-Rufai stated.
He also raised alarms about the perceived control of the judiciary by the executive arm of government, saying the legal system appears to serve political power more than the rule of law.
“In Nigeria, there is a seemingly unbridgeable gulf between law and justice. Not only is justice wanting, but the law that is administered seems to be according to the wishes of the Executive,” he said.
Calling on legal professionals to reflect on their role, El-Rufai urged them to act with integrity and fairness. He reminded them of their duty to ensure justice remains impartial and not influenced by wealth or politics.
“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.
