Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has accused some senior Nigerian judges of compromising the independence and credibility of the judiciary through their alleged relationships with politicians and acceptance of benefits from political actors.
Odinkalu made the allegations while speaking on a Nigeria Info radio programme, where he contrasted the conduct of some present-day judicial officers with what he described as the higher ethical standards of an earlier generation.
Recalling a 1991 controversy, Odinkalu said nine Supreme Court justices, including then Chief Justice of Nigeria Mohammed Bello, sued in defamation after being accused of receiving Mercedes-Benz cars from the administration of former military President Ibrahim Babangida.
According to him, the decision of the justices to approach the court demonstrated how seriously they regarded allegations capable of damaging the integrity of the judiciary.
Odinkalu, however, alleged that such standards have declined, citing what he described as relationships between senior judicial officers and politicians that could undermine public confidence in the courts.
“As Chief Justice of Nigeria, and I’m going to go on record on this, as Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwola collected Mercedes-Benz car from Nyeso Wike, who was governor of River State and who had cases before,” he alleged.
He also criticised the reported appointment of the President of the Court of Appeal to chair the IBB Golf Club in Abuja, which he attributed to former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
“That would not have happened a generation ago. Never. It would never have happened,” Odinkalu said.
He argued that even the perception of a close relationship between judicial officers and politicians could damage confidence in the courts, particularly where the politicians involved have cases before the judiciary.
“And when you do that, you remove the perception of credible adjudication or independent adjudication,” he said.
Odinkalu also criticised the provision of houses and other benefits to judges, tracing what he described as the emergence of the practice to Lagos State.
He alleged that during the tenure of the current President of the Court of Appeal as governor of Lagos State, judges were offered houses in locations including Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki Phase 1 and Ikeja GRA.
According to him, the arrangement later extended to senior judicial officers serving in Lagos divisions of federal courts, including the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal.
“And over time, that system then became the norm, in quotes, the norm,” he said.
Odinkalu argued that the practice had subsequently created expectations among judicial officers in other parts of the country, with judges demanding similar benefits.
“And today, the judges of the judicial systems that have not got the kind of mansions that are being put forward by the FCT minister for the judges in the FCT are all protesting, where are our own mansions?” he said.
He maintained that the growing dependence on political patronage and benefits from government officials was eroding the principle of judicial independence.
“And so the whole idea of independent adjudication and independent court systems is gone,” Odinkalu said.
