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JUDICIARY: Senate Backs Adding More Judges To Clear Case Backlog
The Senate on Tuesday began legislative action to expand Nigeria’s federal judiciary, as lawmakers advanced two bills seeking to increase the number of judges of the Federal High Court and justices of the Court of Appeal in response to growing case backlogs and delays in the administration of justice.
The bills, which scaled second reading during plenary, were subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative scrutiny and are expected back before the chamber within four weeks.
Leading debate on the first bill, which seeks to amend existing laws to increase the number of judges of the Federal High Court, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the proposal had become necessary due to the expanding responsibilities of the court and the rising volume of cases before it.
He noted that the Federal High Court exercises exclusive jurisdiction over key sectors of the economy and governance, including taxation, banking, aviation, telecommunications, anti-corruption cases, terrorism financing, oil and gas disputes, and election-related matters.
According to him, the growing complexity of these sectors has placed enormous pressure on the court.
“Over the years, the volume of cases before the Federal High Court has increased exponentially. The expansion of economic activities, growth in commercial transactions, advancement in technology, the emergence of cyber crimes, increasing anti-corruption prosecutions and the complexity of modern governance have significantly expanded the workload of the court,” he said.
Bamidele argued that the number of judges currently provided under the law no longer reflects the realities facing the nation’s justice system.
“The statutory number of judges has remained inadequate relative to the demands placed upon the court,” he stated.
He warned that the shortage of judicial officers has contributed to prolonged litigation and delays in the delivery of justice.
The situation, he noted, has resulted in “congestion of court dockets, prolonged delays in hearing and determination of cases, increased cost of litigation to litigants etc.”
Following the debate, the Senate granted the bill a second reading.
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The upper chamber also considered a separate bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act to strengthen the capacity of the appellate court and modernise its operations.
Presenting the proposal, Bamidele explained that the legislation would increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110 and introduce provisions for virtual court proceedings.
“A bill for an act to amend the Court of Appeal Act Cap C36 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to, among other things increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from seventy to one hundred and ten, provide for integration of virtual court proceedings and for related matters, 2026, second reading taken,” he said.
Lawmakers observed that increasing the number of judicial officers, alongside the adoption of technology-driven proceedings, would help reduce delays in hearing appeals and improve access to justice nationwide.
The introduction of virtual hearings is also expected to bring appellate court procedures in line with global best practices while reducing logistical challenges associated with physical court appearances.
After deliberations, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, referred both bills to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for detailed consideration.
“Both bills are hereby referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to report back to the Senate in four weeks,” Akpabio ruled.
If eventually passed and signed into law, the measures would mark one of the most significant expansions of Nigeria’s federal judiciary in recent years.
Legal practitioners and stakeholders have long argued that inadequate judicial manpower remains a major factor behind delays in the resolution of commercial disputes, criminal trials, election petitions and other matters before the courts.
Supporters of the proposed legislation believe the reforms will strengthen the efficiency of the judiciary, reduce case congestion and improve public confidence in the justice system.
The Senate’s action comes amid increasing calls for reforms to ensure faster and more effective justice delivery across the country. The bills will now undergo detailed committee review before returning to the Senate for further consideration.
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POLITICS: Wike-led PDP Faction Takes Over Party Secretariat In Oyo
Members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have taken over the secretariat of the party in Oyo State.
The secretariat, located in the Molete area of Ibadan, was in the custody of the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state until Thursday when the members loyal to Wike took over the premises.
DAILY POST gathered that the PDP members stormed the secretariat on Thursday and occupied the premises with hundreds of members of the party in attendance.
PDP chairman in the state, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, confirmed the development to DAILY POST.
Akinoso in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, insisted that the real owners have taken over the premises.
He said, “It is true. It is not faction. It is PDP. We have taken over the premises. It was in the morning. We were there in the morning. We just left the premises. We are now in control. We have taken over the premises.” .…For more, Complete your reading.
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POLITICS: Foreign Recognition Won’t Secure Re-election – ADC Tells Tinubu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told President Bola Tinubu that foreign recognition will not secure him another term in office, insisting that Nigerians will judge his administration by its performance, not by diplomatic gestures from other world leaders.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party reacted to the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to Tinubu.
The ADC said presenting the letter as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration was misleading, stressing that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal part of international relations.
“The Presidency’s attempt to present President Donald Trump’s letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though it were a referendum on the state of the nation is not correct,” the party said.
According to the ADC, countries cooperate, leaders exchange views and letters regularly, adding that such communication does not amount to an endorsement of a government’s performance.
The party accused the Tinubu administration of being desperate for international validation instead of focusing on solving Nigeria’s challenges.
“It is apparent that this administration is desperate to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home,” the statement said.
The ADC maintained that “a letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people.”
It added that the true measure of any government is not what foreign leaders say about it, but what citizens experience daily.
The opposition party argued that Trump’s letter had not changed the reality facing millions of Nigerians, especially those affected by insecurity.
“For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely and sleep without fear,” the party stated.
The ADC also pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while many communities in Benue and other parts of the country still live in constant fear because of insecurity.
The party further noted that, despite the Presidency’s celebration of the letter, the United States Department of State has not changed its travel advisory for Nigeria.
According to the ADC, several Nigerian states remain under Level 3 and Level 4 travel advisories, with American citizens still being urged to reconsider or avoid travel because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.
“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement,” the party said.
It argued that the travel advisory shows the international assessment of Nigeria’s security situation remains different from the image the Presidency is trying to project.
The ADC said Nigerians are more concerned about their safety than diplomatic exchanges between presidents.
“The daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism,” it said.
The party stressed that Trump’s letter was simply communication between two presidents and “does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance.”
It urged the Tinubu administration to focus less on celebrating diplomatic courtesies and more on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
“Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether .…For more, Complete your reading.
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