In a scathing critique of Nigeria’s justice system, legal analyst, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika has argued that the Supreme Court must stop interpreting laws with sentiment and instead enforce them strictly—regardless of political fallout.
“The only thing that can help us is — since we will not as a people voluntarily obey the law — the Supreme Court should just close its eyes and enforce law. Let the heavens fall. It doesn’t matter. Just enforce the law. If the law says this is it, don’t go about using sentiments and all that, just say, ‘That is the law I’m pronouncing.” he said, lamenting the judiciary’s role in enabling political impunity and eroding public trust.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Thursday, Adeyinka Olumida-Fusika, SAN decried the lawlessness plaguing Nigeria’s political system, emphasising the critical need for the Supreme Court to uphold the rule of law without bias or sentiment. According to him, the real crisis facing the nation is not merely political instability, but the lack of enforcement of laws, which has led to widespread disregard for constitutional mandates.
“The Supreme Court should be more—when it comes to these political decisions, if they want us to change as a people, they should be very firm in enforcing these provisions of the law,” Olumide-Fusika asserted.
He strongly criticised recent judicial rulings that have been interpreted to allow politicians to defect from one party to another without facing consequences.
He pointed to the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling on defections, which he believes has contributed to the alarming trend of mass party defections in recent years.
“When you have that kind of decision, you are sending a signal out that you can do it, and nothing will happen,” he said, reflecting on how such judicial pronouncements can embolden politicians to act recklessly.
Olumide-Fusika further explained that the law was clear on issues such as political defections, but the implementation was inconsistent.
“When it comes to political decisions, the Supreme Court should realize that any case that gets to it is essentially a policy decision. The Court should stop making decisions that mix politics and the law,” he stressed.
The Senior Advocate also warned that the lack of judicial firmness had allowed a culture of lawlessness to permeate Nigerian politics. “Once they do it, you’ll see that politicians and ordinary Nigerians will begin to realize that this is not acceptable,” he remarked.
In a pointed remark about the state of Nigerian politics, Olumide-Fusika suggested that reforms were insufficient without judicial enforcement of the law. He explained that Nigerians, as a society, would continue to mirror the behavior of politicians, especially when they see laws being flouted without consequences.
“It is when we see that laws, regulations are not being enforced—this person is getting away with it—’Why do I want to be different?’” Olumide-Fusika said, making a call for the judiciary to become the backbone of societal change by consistently applying the law without fear or favor.
