Dr. Kayode Ajulo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria,SAN, has faulted Senator Babafemi Ojudu for asserting that Nigeria’s judiciary is for sale, describing the allegation as unfair and potentially misleading.
In a statement on Thursday titled “Is Justice Truly for Sale in Nigeria? A Necessary Balance to Senator Ojudu’s ‘How They Buy the Judges & Break the Country,’” Ajulo said that while Ojudu’s narrative highlights a troubling experience, a single negative encounter should not define the integrity of the entire judicial system.
“If Ojudu’s narrative is left unchallenged, it may become an unfair yardstick for judging the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and the many noble men and women who serve within it,” Ajulo said. He acknowledged Ojudu’s courage in raising concerns but stressed that narratives from respected voices must be balanced to avoid distorting reality.
Ajulo criticised the senator for not mentioning positive experiences he also enjoyed within the justice system.
Drawing on 25 years of legal practice, he said corruption exists across all sectors, not exclusively within the judiciary, and condemned sweeping insinuations that all judges or judicial processes are compromised.
He reminded Ojudu that one of his major political victories was delivered by the judiciary. When Ojudu’s senatorial mandate for Ekiti Central was challenged after the Action Congress primaries, it was the courts that resolved the matter.
Ajulo recounted that the respected human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, personally asked him to handle the case. Though initially hesitant due to political affiliations, he eventually represented Ojudu through the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. At no point was there any suggestion of bribery, influence, or compromise; the victories were achieved purely through law, facts, and logic.
“This is the side of the judiciary Ojudu benefited from, the side thousands of Nigerians experience daily,” he said.
He also referenced the 2007 case involving leaders of the Oodua People’s Congress, including the late Dr. Frederick Fasehun and Iba Gani Adams, who were arrested and charged with treasonable felony. Despite government pressure, Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court freed them, demonstrating the judiciary’s independence and courage.
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Ajulo cited additional examples under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, including cases involving military officers implicated in the arms procurement scandal.
Legal challenges over property and fund forfeiture were resolved on merit, reinforcing that the judiciary upheld the law without yielding to external influence.
He highlighted a landmark Supreme Court case involving the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, and the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, in which the court ruled against the government’s position on the Electoral Act, showing judicial independence even under powerful political interests.
On late Senator Buruji Kashamu’s alleged boast about pre-written judgments, Ajulo dismissed it as empty bluster and stressed that no judge he encountered would allow a lawyer to dictate a ruling.
Ajulo emphasised that the National Judicial Council has sanctioned judges where misconduct occurs but insisted that the overwhelming majority of judges are upright, principled, and committed to justice.
“These are men and women who sit late into the night, manage impossible caseloads, endure limited resources, and still deliver judgments that uphold our democracy. They deserve fairness, encouragement, and respect,” he said.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to strengthen institutions rather than destroy them with sweeping generalisations. “Constructive criticism is necessary.
Unbalanced condemnation is not. A nation cannot survive without a judiciary it trusts. But that trust must be built on truth, whole truth, balanced truth, and responsible truth,” Ajulo said.
NAN
