CJN swears in 375 judges for 2027 election tribunals

News

By Linda Ikeji
9 November 2026, 7:09 pm

The Nigerian judiciary has ramped up preparations for the 2027 normal elections as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, formally swore in 375 judges appointed to serve on the Election Petition Tribunals.

The inauguration ceremony happened on Monday on the Body of Benchers Auditorium in Abuja, coinciding with the launch of the second version of the Judicial Electoral Manual and a specialised capacity-building workshop for judicial officers. During the occasion, the CJN charged the newly sworn-in judges to strictly uphold judicial independence, resist political stress, and administer justice with out worry or favor.

Addressing the tribunal members, Justice Kekere-Ekun underscored the need of adhering to constitutional mandates, judicial ethics, and the rule of regulation. She issued a stern warning to political events, authorized practitioners, media organizations, and most of the people towards unethical conduct aimed toward undermining the judicial course of.

The CJN particularly cautioned towards abusing ex parte purposes and working coordinated on-line campaigns meant to affect pending litigations or intimidate judicial officers. She emphasised that every one election petition disputes have to be adjudicated strictly on the burden of proof and relevant laws reasonably than public sentiment or political affect, reminding the judges of the vital want for environment friendly case administration inside strict statutory timelines.

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, offered particulars on the composition of the tribunal panels, revealing that the 375 judicial officers comprise 138 judges with prior election tribunal expertise alongside 237 newly nominated members drawn from judicial establishments nationwide.

Justice Dongban-Mensem harassed {that a} credible electoral cycle relies upon closely on neutral, efficient, and well timed mechanisms for resolving disputes, urging the judges to stay aware of intense public scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, addressed rising technical challenges anticipated to complicate forthcoming election litigation notably synthetic intelligence-generated deepfakes and disputes surrounding the digital transmission of outcomes. He emphasised the important want for sturdy cooperation between the electoral fee and the judiciary to safeguard democratic establishments and keep public belief.

The 2027 normal elections are formally slated to start with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027, adopted by the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027.