One-party dominance threatens federal system, SANs warn
BOSAN Warns Nigeria’s Federal System Under Threat, Urges Judiciary to Stand Firm
The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has raised serious concerns over the state of Nigeria’s federal system, warning that it is under significant threat due to the dominance of a single political party and the weakening of effective opposition.
BOSAN stressed that the current political landscape has placed enormous responsibility on the judiciary, describing it as the last strong institution capable of protecting the Constitution and upholding the rule of law where opposition forces appear weak.
The warning was delivered during a special court session marking the ceremonial commencement of the 2025/2026 Legal Year of the Federal High Court and the 41st Annual Judges’ Conference, held in Abuja on Monday.
At present, the All Progressives Congress (APC) controls at least 26 of Nigeria’s 36 states, a situation opposition parties have repeatedly described as a drift toward a one-party state, raising fears about the future of democratic checks and balances.
“When There Is No Strong Opposition, the Judiciary Must Be Strong”
In a powerful address read on behalf of BOSAN by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), the body charged judges to rise boldly to the moment.
“When there is no strong opposition, the judiciary must be strong. It must be adept. It must be innovative. It must defend the law and the constitution, and employ every inherent sanction of a court of law,” BOSAN declared.
The body argued that the framers of Nigeria’s Constitution deliberately vested the judiciary with wide powers to protect constitutional order, especially in periods of widespread corruption and institutional failure.
“As I said before, it is midnight. It is you, judges, who will lead in this darkness. At such a time as this, you must be bold and courageous. You must be honest, you must be innovative,” the statement added.
BOSAN Cautions Against Criminalisation of Politics
BOSAN further warned against what it described as the criminalisation of politics, noting that excessive monetisation of elections, violence, ethnicity, and the erosion of checks and balances had left the judiciary as the nation’s final hope.
“If the electoral process continues to be dominated by money, if violence and ethnicity continue to prevail, if checks and balances have ceased to be effective, then we need a judiciary that can assert itself,” the body said.
It urged judges not to fear intimidation or backlash, assuring them that even if their efforts were not immediately appreciated, future generations would recognise their courage in defending the nation.
“The hope of the nation is in the judiciary to remove this cankerworm of corruption so that we can have a genuine democracy,” BOSAN stated, adding that a nation’s quality ultimately reflects the strength of its judiciary.
Chief Justice: Judiciary Is the Last Line of Defence
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, acknowledged that public expectations and scrutiny of the judiciary had intensified in recent years, describing the courts as the final safeguard of constitutional democracy.
“The Judiciary does not speak through press statements; our judgments constitute our voice. The manner in which we discharge our duties defines the authority and credibility of that voice,” she said.
Justice Kekere-Ekun emphasised that punctuality, transparency, consistency, and administrative discipline were no longer minor issues but essential indicators of respect for litigants and public trust.
She warned that fragile public confidence could undermine even well-reasoned judgments if court processes appeared opaque or inefficient.
Federal High Court Records Over 16,000 Cases
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John T. Tsoho, disclosed that the court disposed of a total of 16,019 cases during the 2023/2024 legal year.
- 3,113 civil cases
- 5,818 criminal matters
- 3,724 motions
- 3,374 fundamental human rights cases
Justice Tsoho also revealed that the court had commenced an e-filing system at its Lagos Division, with plans to extend the initiative nationwide as part of ongoing judicial reforms.
NBA Urges Judiciary to Guard Independence
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), urged the judiciary to jealously guard its independence, stressing that its authority derives from public confidence in its neutrality and fairness.
He commended the Federal High Court for its resilience and fidelity to the law, while calling on both the Bench and the Bar to work collaboratively to strengthen justice delivery and national stability.
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