Deliver Swift, Impartial Justice Or Risk Democracy, Tinubu Tells Judiciary

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.