Bulkachuwa: Most Nigerian judges have careless reputation – but judiciary will endure, says SAN

Wahab Shittu, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says majority of Nigeria’s judges have a careless reputation.

Speaking on Friday in an interview on Channels Television, Shittu said despite individual misdemeanours of judges, the integrity of the judiciary cannot be rubbished, adding that the institution will endure for democratic governance. 

“Everyone should be concerned about the integrity, honour and independence of our judiciary,” he said.

“Most of our judges have a careless reputation. There are some bad eggs that are tarnishing the image of the judiciary, carrying with them the entire bench.

“When Bulkachuwa made that statement, I felt disgusted, alarmed. I was shocked and I thought immediately, he should have been arrested and then investigated.

“Because he has done a disservice, not only to the body of jurisprudence and the judiciary. If that allegation is not properly investigated, he may have done a disservice to his wife, who was a former president of the court of appeal.

“As long as I’m concerned, no one can rubbish the integrity of the judiciary as an institution. Individuals may fall short of expectations, but that institution is critical to democratic governance and it will endure.”

Shittu’s remark comes on the back of “indicting statements” by Adamu Bulkachuwa, a senator who represents Bauchi North.

During the senate’s valedictory session on June 11, Bulkachuwa said he often influenced the decisions of Zainab Bulkachuwa, his wife and a former president of the court of appeal, while she was in office.

Zainab had presided over the 2007 Sokoto governorship election petition tribunal.

She also presided over the suit in which Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa, challenged the nomination of Seriake Dickson, an ex-governor of the state, as the flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), had described the statement as a “monumental disgrace” and sufficient grounds for his arrest.

On Thursday, Yakubu Maikyau, the incumbent president of the NBA, after the 102nd statutory meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC), called on the police to immediately invite Bulkachuwa for interrogation over his statements.