The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, has advocated for sweeping judicial reforms to address the increasing backlog of cases in Nigerian courts. He emphasized the need to review the role of the judiciary in pre-election disputes and limit the types of cases that reach the Supreme Court.

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, Osigwe criticized the overwhelming number of pre-election cases that flood the courts, arguing that such disputes should be resolved internally by political parties rather than being litigated.

“Personally, I am of the view that pre-election matters should not have any place in our courts. Political parties should be able to choose their candidates, and those who are aggrieved should seek redress through internal party mechanisms,” he stated.

He noted that the influx of election-related cases delays justice, places undue pressure on judges, and disrupts the hearing of other important matters.

“During election periods, the Federal High Court is largely occupied with these cases, forcing it to suspend the hearing of other pressing matters. This puts an enormous burden on our judicial system,” he added.

Osigwe further called for judicial reforms to limit the types of cases that should go on appeal, arguing that not every dispute should reach the Supreme Court.

“At this age and time, I don’t see why issues like customary law disputes or landlord-tenant matters should go all the way to the Supreme Court,” he said.

He suggested that Nigeria should adopt a model similar to the United States, where the Supreme Court has discretion over which cases it hears, ensuring that only cases with constitutional significance or conflicting appellate decisions reach the highest court.

“We can’t have a situation where cases take 12 to 15 years to be determined. The Supreme Court should focus on setting legal precedents and resolving constitutional matters, rather than handling every case that comes its way,” Osigwe asserted.

The NBA president urged the judiciary, legal practitioners, and relevant bodies to initiate discussions on judicial reforms, particularly as the National Assembly undergoes constitutional amendments.

“Maybe this is the time for that hard conversation. The judiciary, NBA, and other stakeholders must push for reforms to improve the efficiency of our legal system,” he concluded.

His remarks have reignited discussions on judicial bottlenecks in Nigeria, with many legal experts supporting the call for a more efficient and streamlined judicial process.