By Nwafor Sunday
A coalition of civil society organizations and legal practitioners has called on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, to immediately visit Nigeria and investigate allegations of judicial manipulation for political and economic interests.
In a petition dated March 26, 2025, and signed by Egondu Esinwoke, Convener, and Courage Nsirimovu, Coordinator, alongside 24 civil society organizations, the groups allege that the Nigerian judiciary is being used as a political weapon by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and President Bola Tinubu to consolidate power in Rivers State.
The petition highlights a controversial Supreme Court ruling that reinstated 27 defected lawmakers in Rivers State. The judgment, which the petitioners argue contradicts a previous Supreme Court ruling in Abegunde Ifedola Sunday v. Labour Party, is seen as a move to destabilize the Rivers State government.
An 11-member Independent Judicial Accountability Panel, which included three retired justices, reviewed the Supreme Court ruling and declared it perverse, raising concerns about political interference in judicial decisions.
The civil society groups also accused the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, of undue influence over the judiciary, citing a previous article by human rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu titled “Wiked Judges and Nyesomized Courts”, which alleges that Wike has cultivated close relationships with judges to influence court rulings in his favor.
The petitioners argue that the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu is unconstitutional and politically motivated. They claim that the move is part of a strategy to allow Wike to control the state’s political structure and resources ahead of the President’s re-election bid.
The President, in his declaration of the state of emergency, cited the Supreme Court ruling and emphasized that the Rivers State House of Assembly must pass an Appropriation Bill, which has not yet been implemented. However, civil society groups argue that this justification is a cover for political interference.
The petitioners are urging the United Nations to send a delegation to Nigeria to investigate corruption within the judiciary and restore public confidence in the legal system as the last hope of the common man. They also call on the UN and the international community to pressure the Nigerian government to uphold democracy in Rivers State.
The letter was endorsed by organizations including: Rivers Indigenous NGOs and Civil Society Network (RINGOCS), Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) – Rivers State Chapter, Civil Liberties Organization – South South Zone, Centre for Environment, Human Rights, and Development, Lawyers Alert, and Support Initiative for Sustainable Development (SISDEV).
The petitioners maintain that an independent investigation by the UN Special Rapporteur is essential to prevent further judicial compromise and ensure the judiciary remains independent of political influence.
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