Civil Rights Group has rated CJN Kekere-Ekun low over lack of judicial reforms.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that a civil rights organization, Tap Initiative, has scored the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, low in its assessment of her first year in office, faulting what it described as her failure to deliver on urgent judicial reforms.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the group noted that despite high expectations following her assumption of office in August 2024, Justice Kekere-Ekun’s tenure has so far been marked more by rhetoric than action.
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According to Tap Initiative’s Executive Director, Martin Obono, civil society groups, senior lawyers, and academics had presented the CJN with a specific reform agenda ahead of her appointment. However, one year later, the group insists, “tangible reforms remain elusive.”
While commending her decision to oversee the retirement of judges indicted for age falsification, the group described her leadership style as “risk-averse, relying on speeches and moral persuasion rather than structural reforms.”
On judicial modernization, Tap Initiative pointed out that although the CJN has repeatedly emphasized the need for e-filing, case management technology, and virtual hearings, there has been “no nationwide rollout or measurable progress” in digital court processes.
The group also criticized the lack of strong disciplinary measures against non-performing judges. Obono noted that while the National Judicial Council (NJC) has made commitments to improve accountability, “judges often receive a slap on the wrist rather than facing prosecution for criminal misconduct.”
On the issue of ex-parte orders, Tap Initiative expressed concern that despite their abuse in political cases, no new policy guidelines have been introduced a loophole it warned could be exploited ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The gap between identified priorities and visible outcomes remains significant,” the group stated, warning that unless urgent reforms are implemented, Justice Kekere-Ekun risks being remembered as a “cautious caretaker presiding over inertia.”
Tap Initiative concluded by urging the CJN to take bolder steps: “If Justice Kekere-Ekun is to leave a meaningful legacy, she must move from rhetoric to reform, from warnings to sanctions, from speeches to visible action. The next twelve months will determine the future trajectory of her tenure and Nigeria’s judiciary.”
