Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has issued a strong statement accusing the Federal Government and the Senate, under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio, of deliberately undermining the rule of law. Falana warned that the continuous disregard for court judgments by powerful individuals and government institutions poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
In his statement, Falana cited several specific instances where court rulings have been allegedly treated with contempt.
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW): Falana pointed to the case of Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa, who was re-elected as the NURTW President in August 2023. Despite the election being confirmed by both the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal, Falana claims Baruwa was forcefully removed from the union’s national secretariat to install a different leader, Musiliu “Oluomo” Akinsanya.
Local Government Autonomy: The lawyer also highlighted a judgment by the Supreme Court in July 2024. The court upheld the autonomy of local governments and ordered the direct payment of monthly statutory allocations to all 774 local government areas. Falana stated that the Federal Government has since ignored this ruling.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Suspension: Falana referenced a Federal High Court decision from March 2025. The court declared the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate as illegal and recommended her recall. According to Falana, the Senate leadership disregarded the order and has since converted the suspension into an indefinite one. The Senate has previously stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan must meet certain conditions, including a public apology, before her reinstatement would be considered.
Falana urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene, calling on him to suspend his vacation and address what he described as a slide towards “anarchy and chaos.” He also challenged the Nigerian Bar Association to take urgent action, including a possible court boycott, to ensure compliance with judicial pronouncements.
The human rights activist also voiced concern about the state of the judiciary, lamenting that “election riggers now openly dared aggrieved citizens to go to court, where outcomes had become predictable.”
Sources
