Judicial panel faults Supreme Court ruling on Rivers political crisis

An 11-member Independent Judicial Accountability Panel (IJAP), which includes three retired justices, has slammed the Supreme Court’s ruling on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.

In a statement released on Friday, March 14, 2025, following its inaugural meeting in Abuja, the panel, led by retired Justice Mojeed Owoade of the Court of Appeal, expressed concern that the apex court’s judgment on the Rivers legal disputes left critical issues unresolved.

According to the panel’s analysis, “the Supreme Court’s judgment in the consolidated appeals leaves a gap as to whether the alleged defection of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been settled or remains an open issue. The court made remarks about the defection without directly addressing it.”

The panel noted that at the time of the ruling, the Supreme Court had no conclusive evidence proving that the lawmakers had ceased to be bonafide members of the Rivers Assembly.

It, therefore, argued that the court should have avoided commenting on a matter still pending in lower courts.

However, it ruled out the possibility of seeking a judicial review, stating that “as far as the case is concerned, the Supreme Court has become functus officio,” meaning it can no longer revisit the matter.

The Justice Owoade-led panel also criticized the complexity of court judgments, arguing that lengthy and unclear rulings undermine public trust in the judiciary. It urged judicial officers to remain mindful of their oath of office.

As part of its recommendations, the panel advised politicians to avoid unduly influencing the judiciary and instead prioritize the interests of the people. It also called on the government to obey court rulings and respect citizens’ rights, citing the Federal Government’s failure to comply with the ECOWAS Court’s order to compensate victims of the October 2020 End SARS protest.

“IJAP recommends that the Federal Government of Nigeria obey not only the orders of our domestic courts but also those of international courts, in line with its treaty obligations. Achieving this will require active citizen participation,” the panel stated.

The panel further urged citizens to take a greater interest in holding the judiciary and government institutions accountable while calling on the media to be bold, factual, and non-partisan in its reporting on judicial matters.

Other members of the panel include retired Justices Chinwe Iyizoba and Oloduton Adefope-Okojie, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, Prof. Jummai Audi, Mr. Mac Imoni Amarere, Barr. Sechap A. Tsokwa, Andrew Mamedu, Judith Gbagidi, Barr. Funmi Olukeye, and Celestine Okwudil.

The IJAP is an initiative of ActionAid Nigeria and the Citizens’ Led Engagement on Judicial Accountability in Post-Election Justice Delivery in Nigeria (CLEAP-Justice). Since July 2023, the project has expanded beyond election matters to support broader judicial accountability efforts, according to ActionAid Country Director Andrew Mamedu.