By Gabriel Ameh
Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has criticised the public manner in which the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, highlights welfare initiatives for members of the judiciary, warning that such displays risk undermining public confidence in Nigeria’s courts.
Adeyanju argued that judicial independence is not only about whether judges are actually influenced by political actors, but also about whether the public believes the judiciary operates free from political patronage.
According to him, when a political office holder repeatedly positions himself as a benefactor to judges, accompanied by public announcements and fanfare, it can create the perception that members of the bench are indebted to political authority.
He noted that several state governments in Nigeria provide support for the judiciary without turning it into a public spectacle. Adeyanju cited Lagos State as an example where government support for judicial welfare is handled with less publicity.
The activist warned that excessive publicity around such initiatives risks portraying judges as political dependants rather than independent arbiters of justice.
Adeyanju added that actions capable of creating such perceptions could further erode public trust in the courts, stressing that confidence in the judiciary depends not only on fairness in judgments but also on the appearance of institutional independence.
