President Bola Tinubu has again charged the Nigerian judiciary to ensure swift, fair justice that is blind to a litigant’s status or tribe, insisting that a compromised legal system threatens democratic stability.
Instead of widespread citizen frustration with prolonged case backlogs and slow adjudication, he maintained that the administration of justice must be both fair and swift so that the common man could have confidence in the judiciary as his last hope.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja when he commissioned the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division building complex, Dakibiyu, the President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the new appellate court building reinforces his Renewed Hope Agenda and his administration’s determination to give the operators of the nation’s justice system a befitting home.
“To My Lords Justices, as you move into this complex, Nigeria asks one thing of you: let justice be swift. Let it be fair. Let it be blind to status, tribe, or purse. Let the common man feel that this Court is truly his last hope.
“On this note, and to the glory of Almighty God, I hereby commission the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division Building Complex, for the service of justice and for the benefit of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he declared.
President Tinubu noted that it was unacceptable that the Abuja division of the appellate court operated from a cramped, temporary space for too long, even as he said a nation that seeks justice must respect the temple of justice.
“When I visited and saw the condition, I gave a simple instruction: fix it. Today, we have fixed it,” he stated, just as he commended the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for timely delivery and for domesticating his administration’s judicial reforms in the nation’s capital.
“You took the assignment to deliver this project in May 2024. By July, contractors were on site. You promised 16 months. You delivered in record time. No excuses. No variation. Just results. Nigerians can see the difference. We are proud of your dedication to duty,” he told the minister.
The Nigerian leader maintained that the project aligns with his administration’s priorities, “which aim to improve governance and the rule of law by implementing judicial reforms, restructuring the judiciary, and increasing funding to ensure a just, rule-based society.”
He continued: “This complex is world-class. With two large and eight smaller courtrooms, cases will now receive speedy attention. This will go a long way toward ensuring justice for all, upholding the rule of law, maintaining law and order in the Federal Capital Territory, and reducing congestion in our correctional centres. This is how you honour the Judiciary. This is how you strengthen democracy.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a slogan. It is action. We said we would restore the dignity of our institutions. We are doing it for the Judiciary. We are doing it in health, education, roads, and power. Brick by brick, we are rebuilding Nigeria.”
For the judges, the President acknowledged that they serve the nation under immense pressure, even as he listed what he described as the heavy docket being carried by the Abuja Division of he appellate court, including election petitions, constitutional matters.
“The eyes of Nigeria are on you. You deserve an environment that matches the weight of your responsibility. This complex is not a favour. It is your right. And we will do more,” he added.

The Labour Party (LP) standard bearer for Ikwerre State House of Assembly Constituency, Hon. Stasi Amadi, has reaffirmed her commitment to championing policies and initiatives aimed at protecting the rights of women and the girl child, while promoting education and economic empowerment across communities.
Hon. Amadi made this known when she spoke with newsmen after submitting her forms at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
She pointed out that her vision was anchored on building a society where women and girls are protected from discrimination, harmful cultural practices and all forms of gender-based injustices.
The Assembly candidate specifically condemned female genital mutilation (FGM), describing the practice as a violation of human dignity and a harmful tradition that has no place in modern society.
According to her, the continued existence of such practices undermines the physical, emotional and social well-being of women and girls and limits their ability to contribute meaningfully to community development.
The Labour Party candidate stressed that every girl deserves access to quality education, noting that education remains one of the strongest tools for breaking cycles of poverty and inequality.
She maintained that empowering women through education, vocational skills and access to opportunities would create stronger families and more prosperous communities.
Hon. Amadi explained that if elected into the State House of Assembly, she would support legislative measures and advocacy programmes targeted at safeguarding the rights of women and children.
She also pledged to work with relevant stakeholders, including traditional institutions, civil society groups and development partners, to increase awareness against harmful practices affecting women.
The House of Assembly hopeful stated that women should not only be protected but also given platforms to participate actively in leadership, governance and economic development.
She noted that communities thrive when women are empowered to make decisions, pursue careers and contribute their talents without fear of discrimination or exclusion.
Hon. Amadi further called on parents and guardians to prioritise the education of the girl child and discourage actions capable of limiting their future aspirations.
She urged young women to remain confident, seek knowledge and embrace opportunities that would enable them to become agents of positive change in society.
The Labour Party standard bearer added that ending injustice against women requires collective responsibility and sustained public enlightenment at all levels.
She reaffirmed her determination to continue advocating for inclusive policies that advance gender equity, protect the vulnerable and create opportunities for women and girls to achieve their full potentials.

By: King Onunwor

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Rivers State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) says it is planning to produce 600 000 votes.
State Chairman of the Fellowship, Rev. Minaibi Dagogo-Jack, who said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt also said the group will look at the activities of the various political parties and their candidates with a view to directing its members on whom to vote for.
“We will critically look at the candidates we have time to discuss with and we shall decide, as leaders, on who to direct our members to vote”, he said.
The state PFN chairman also stressed the need for the Christian community to rise up and enthrone good governance in the country.
He said Christians cannot continue to stay away from politics and allow undeserving men take control of the country, adding that time had come for the church to rise up and enthrone righteous governance in the country.
Speaking on the just concluded June 12 Democracy Day celebration, the PFN chairman said the the celebration meant nothing as far of Nigerians are concerned.
He particularly said the insecurity in the country had defeated the very essence of the celebration.
According to him, “I say so because June 12 represents quite a lot of things for us as a people and as a church.
“You would recall that June 12 is a public holiday and the activities that led and influenced the government to declare public holiday today we are all aware.
“June 12, ordinarily, should represent political freedom, freedom for the oppressed, freedom for Nigeria as a people.
“But from a close look at the political activities in Nigeria and particularly River State, it is not in doubt that the essence of June 12, the reason for which the government declared public holiday for June 12, is defeated”, he said.
Rev. Dagogo-Jack decried the lack of internal party democracy in the country, while also condemning the alleged infiltration into the opposition political parties by some agents of the state.
“We are in a situation where Internal democracy is no longer practiced.
We are in a situation where opposition political parties allege that those politicians in government are (filtrating) in their internal part affairs.
“A situation where opposition political parties will produce two, three, four candidates, representing one political party, this is not democracy, it is confusion; a situation where politicians will jump from one political party to another just because they are being forced to do so, so as to win or to be declared candidates of winning parties; a situation where common political ideals are being thrown out into the trash bin just because people want to identify themselves with the bourgeois…It’s really dark for us as a people. It’s a dark day for us. A day that should represent freedom”, he said.
He also said the PFN also concluded a three day seminar for members in the state, to sensitise the youth against involvevment in violence during the elections.
“And this seminar was to teach those youths that they were created by God as change agents and to reset their minds towards growth in business.
“This seminar handled the very many issues concerning the politics of Nigeria, particularly Rivers State and the call of God in the lives of our people.
“We, the Pentecostals in River State, are not joking. We decided to hold this program to create awareness, to seek the face of God, in order to chat the way forward through a peaceful electioneering process and also to tell our people to prepare the minds of our people that we are looking at producing more than sixty thousand votes to cut across twenty one local government areas and three thousand votes for the remaining two local government areas because River State has twenty three local government areas.
“We are mobilizing in order to have more than six hundred thousand votes because having taken critical look at the last results, River State was able to produce about two hundred thousand votes for the present president. That to us is not enough.
“The Pentecostal churches in particular are large enough. We have the numerical strength, to tell these politicians that there is balm in Gilead, to tell these politicians who could ordinarily give two hundred thousand plus votes alone out of 3.5 plus million registered voters in River State.
“The church cannot continue to sleep and allow our children to die.
May I use this opportunity to appreciate our gallant soldiers, the police and the DSS, recently that they freed some children and captives from the hands of terrorists”
Rev. Dagogo-Jack further said the PFN in Rivers State is also in support of state police and commended the National Assembly for passing a bill for the creation of state police.

By: John Bibor