Renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has called on President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law by ensuring compliance with judgments from the ECOWAS Court of Justice. The senior advocate’s statement followed President Tinubu’s address during ECOWAS’ 50th-anniversary celebration in Lagos, where the Nigerian leader praised the regional body’s democratic institutions.
While Tinubu, in his capacity as ECOWAS Chairman, commended the organization’s adherence to democratic norms through institutions like the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice, Falana countered that member states have consistently flouted the court’s rulings. He revealed alarming statistics showing Nigeria topping the list of non-compliant nations with 44 unimplemented judgments as of December 2024, followed by Togo (27), Guinea (15), Mali (10), and Sierra Leone (9).
The legal luminary highlighted the hypocrisy of former West African leaders who disregarded the court’s authority while in office, only to later seek its protection for their own rights. Notable examples include Liberia’s Charles Taylor, Côte d’Ivoire’s Laurent Gbagbo, and Burkina Faso’s Blaise Compaoré. Falana particularly criticized Nigeria’s failure to enforce judgments despite designating the Attorney-General as the enforcement authority since 2014.
“Nigeria’s position as both ECOWAS chair and the worst offender in judgment compliance is indefensible,” Falana stated. He urged President Tinubu to immediately direct Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to execute all outstanding judgments, stressing that this action is crucial to restoring Nigeria’s leadership credibility and strengthening regional judicial mechanisms.
The call comes amid growing concerns about democratic backsliding in West Africa, with Falana linking the culture of impunity to recent military takeovers in the region.
