From Victor Osula, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Monday urged the Nigerian judiciary to take decisive steps to rebuild public trust, strengthen internal discipline and uphold the highest standards of integrity.
The President delivered the charge while declaring open the 2025 All Nigerian Judges’ Conference of the Superior Courts at the Andrews Otutu Obaseki Auditorium of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja.
Addressing a hall of judges, senior judicial officers and legal stakeholders, Tinubu emphasised the pivotal role of the judiciary in safeguarding democracy, describing judicial officers as “guardians of Nigeria’s moral conscience” and key architects of the nation’s democratic future.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to support efforts that preserve judicial dignity and eliminate misconduct.
Tinubu stressed that the duty of sanitising the judiciary does not lie solely with the National Judicial Council (NJC) but remains a collective obligation for every judge.
He insisted that discipline must be firm, transparent and consistent, adding that only a judiciary able to enforce discipline within its ranks can command the moral authority to cleanse society.
He reminded participants that the judiciary exists not as an end in itself but as an instrument of justice for the Nigerian people. Its legitimacy, he noted, is drawn not only from constitutional authority but also from the confidence of citizens.
A judiciary that is compromised, disconnected or sluggish, he warned, threatens national freedom, while a principled bench remains the greatest safeguard of liberty.
The President urged judicial officers to use the conference to embrace bold and practical reforms that address recurring systemic challenges.
He posed critical questions for reflection: How can case backlogs be reduced? How can internal discipline be strengthened? How can justice become more affordable and accessible to the poor and vulnerable?
“How do we build a Judiciary that truly remains the last hope of the common man?” he asked, urging participants to move beyond routine diagnosis to innovative solutions.
Tinubu noted that judges are not merely interpreters of the law but custodians of the nation’s moral compass—entrusted with ensuring that no citizen is too weak to be heard and no authority too powerful to escape the law’s restraint.
He pledged that his administration would continue to listen, support and stand by the judiciary in fulfilling its constitutional mandate.
Declaring the 2025 Judges’ Conference open, the President reminded participants that the story of Nigeria’s democracy “is still being written,” with every just and courageous ruling strengthening the Republic and fortifying the rule of law.
Tinubu wished the delegates fruitful deliberations, expressing optimism that the judiciary would continue to stand as the conscience of the nation and the guardian of Nigeria’s democratic order.
