Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned judges and lawyers against conduct capable of undermining the integrity of the judiciary ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly the practice of forum shopping in politically sensitive cases.
Kekere-Ekun issued the warning on Monday in Abuja during a special session of the Supreme Court marking the commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year.
She cautioned judicial officers against political associations and actions that could create the impression of bias, stressing that their conduct and decisions would face heightened public scrutiny as political activities intensify ahead of the elections.
The CJN also warned lawyers against deliberately filing cases in courts perceived to be favourable to their clients or instituting multiple lawsuits seeking substantially similar reliefs in different courts.
According to her, such practices could trigger conflicting court orders, undermine the administration of justice and damage public confidence in the judiciary.
“Forum shopping, whether by the deliberate choice of commencing an action in a court or division perceived to be more favourable to a particular party or by the institution of multiple proceedings seeking substantially similar reliefs, can result in conflicting orders, undermine orderly judicial process and expose the Judiciary to avoidable embarrassment,” she said.
Kekere-Ekun added that the practice could create the impression that litigants were seeking favourable outcomes from particular judges rather than pursuing justice in accordance with the law.
The warning comes as political parties and their aspirants prepare for the 2027 general elections, a period expected to generate legal disputes over party primaries, candidate selection and other electoral processes.
The CJN urged judges to remain impartial and strictly adhere to the Constitution and their judicial oaths when handling politically sensitive disputes.
“Judicial officers must remain conscious that every word they speak and every action they take during an electoral period will be subjected to scrutiny,” she said.
“They must therefore exercise restraint, avoid political association or conduct capable of creating an appearance of partiality and remain firmly within the boundaries imposed by their oath and the Constitution.”
She also called on lawyers to exercise greater professional responsibility when instituting political and electoral cases, particularly where related proceedings were already pending before other courts.
Beyond the risks of conflicting judgments, Kekere-Ekun warned that an excessive concentration on politically prominent cases could delay the determination of other matters awaiting judicial attention.
She said the judiciary must remain accessible to all litigants and ensure that the urgency or public attention surrounding political disputes did not deprive other Nigerians of timely justice.
“The judiciary must remain available to all litigants, and the urgency or public prominence of political litigation should not come at the expense of other legitimate claims awaiting determination,” she stated.
The CJN stressed that maintaining public confidence in the judicial system required judges and lawyers to uphold professional ethics, avoid practices that could compromise judicial independence and ensure that disputes were resolved according to the law.
Her remarks place the conduct of the judiciary under renewed scrutiny ahead of the 2027 elections, when disputes involving political parties, candidates and electoral authorities are likely to test the courts’ impartiality and capacity to deliver timely judgments.
