‘Courts are now market stalls’: Nigerians react to Justice Augie’s jabs on judiciary

•‘If we lose courts, we lose election before first vote’ •Nigeria’s judiciary on trial — Welson •Courtroom should not be turned into final polling unit — Adewale By Dayo Johnson, Regional Editor, South West A retired justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Amina Adamu Augie, last week raised the alarm that corruption within Nigeria’s judiciary and legal profession is eroding public aconfidence in the administration of justice and transforming the courts into what she described as “market stalls.” Read Also: Nigeria’s rule of law under threat, justice too slow, costly – Ex-Supreme Court Justice, Augie Justice Augie, who spoke in Abuja during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Law School Class of 1986, popularly known as the Centennial Class, said corrupt practices involving judges, lawyers and court officials had weakened the credibility of the justice system and damaged the public’s perception of the legal profession.

It is a notorious fact that many people no longer see the judiciary as the last hope of the common people. And in a society where the residents do not have confidence in the judiciary to deliver justice, the consequences can not be imagined. Less than three months to the 2027 general elections therefore, concerned Nigerians have warned that the judiciary must not be allowed to determine the outcome of the elections.

They argued that the judiciary has demonstrated times without number that it cannot be trusted and some candidates are not thinking of going to the election tribunal to retrieve any mandate but to settle the matter on the election day. If we lose the courts before February 2027, we lose the election before the first vote is cast — Prof Okaba A university don and immediate past President, Ijaw National Congress, Prof Benjamin Okaba said: “Retired Supreme Court Justice Amina Augie’s warning must be taken seriously, because an election is only as credible as the court that will judge it.

Corruption will impact the 2027 elections in three ways: pre-election manipulation, election-day impunity, and post-election anarchy. When registry staff can make files disappear, delay service, or backdate affidavits, elections are rigged before ballot papers are even printed, as seen in 2023 pre-election matters where candidates were excluded through technical fraud.

To tackle this, the three arms Justice Augie identified must be fixed. For the Bench, the National Judicial Council must act swiftly and publicly: no judge with a pending corruption petition should serve on any Election Petition Tribunal in 2027, and all tribunal proceedings and judgments must be live-streamed, as was piloted in 2023, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

For the Bar, the Nigerian Bar Association must stop protecting senior lawyers who act as bagmen for judges; the notorious practice of “go and see the judge” must attract debarment, not promotion to SAN. For the Registry, the most neglected but most dangerous, total digitalization is needed: electronic filing with time stamps, CCTV in registries, and audit trails will end the era where a clerk can decide the fate of a governorship.

Above all, speed is essential. The 180-day rule for tribunals must be sacrosanct, because the longer a petition stays in the system, the more time for market-stall bargaining. Justice Augie has sounded the alarm, and the CJN, NBA, EFCC, ICPC, and civil society must act now. If we lose the courts before February 2027, we would have lost the election before the first vote is cast.” Courtroom should not be turned into final polling unit where money casts deciding vote — Adewale On his part, former SDP chairman in Ondo state, Hon Stephen Adewale said, “Justice Augie’s warning should trouble every Nigerian as we approach the 2027 elections.

If politicians believe they can purchase judicial protection, electoral malpractice becomes a calculated investment. A stolen mandate could pass through the courts and emerge wearing the robes of legitimacy. Corruption among registry officials can be equally destructive, especially where evidence is concealed or access to documents is deliberately frustrated.

The damage could outlive the election. Citizens who endure long queues to vote may lose faith in democracy if they believe money will eventually determine whose victory survives. The National Judicial Council must investigate credible complaints promptly and impose meaningful sanctions where misconduct is established. “Lawyers and registry officials who facilitate corruption must also face consequences, alongside politicians who offer bribes.

Secured digital records and timely access to electoral evidence would make manipulation harder. Financial independence of the judiciary must come with accountability, while honest judges must be protected from political intimidation. No politician should be allowed to turn the courtroom into a final polling unit where money casts the deciding vote.

Protection of electoral justice must be treated as democratic