BREAKING: During my tenure as NBA president, I discovered that the Nigerian political elite is consciously trying to seize control of the judiciary, according to Olumide Akpata.

According to Olumide Akpata, the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the country’s judiciary can only happen to create an excellent judge by accident.…CONTINUE READING

Akpata reportedly said these things during the International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Paris, France, according to Daily Trust.

He expressed concerns about what he termed “judiciary capture” in Nigeria, emphasizing how the country’s political class is undermining and weakening the judicial system.

It was reported that in the two short videos that were posted on X (formerly Twitter), they captured Akpata’s worry over the development which he claimed is bad for the country.

He said, “For a good judge to emerge out of that process is by fluke only; sheer luck with judicial appointment in Nigeria. It is ridiculous.

While I was president of the NBA, what I found out was that there is a deliberate attempt on the part of the political class in Nigeria to capture the judiciary, and that has very insidious consequences for rule of law in Nigeria. It is deliberate and it is intentional. And it is achieving results for them. Because the kind of people who show up as judges have no business being there.”

More information made it known that the process of appointing judges in Nigeria has sparked controversy, prompting calls from many lawyers for reforms.

Apata said that the presence of retired and serving justices, as well as politicians, whose family members currently hold positions as judicial officers in different courts, is contributing to the lack of public confidence in the judiciary system.

He further accused politicians, particularly governors, of impoverishing judges by withholding their essential entitlements, such as official cars and accommodation.