A recent poll conducted by Gavel – a civic tech organization in Nigeria – has shown that the nation’s judiciary has become weaker in the last two years.
The organisation, which aims at increasing the pace of justice delivery, access to justice and human rights’ upliftment across the country, said it conducted the research to determine whether judiciary is stronger or weaker pursuant to the demands of Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) Goal 16.
The poll had asked the question: “Has the judiciary been weaker in the past 2 years?”
According to the poll results released by the organisation, a total of 85 percent of the respondents affirmed “Yes” to the poll question, 5 percent voted “No”, while 10 percent were “indifferent.”
“The judiciary has a strong role in making democracy work and ensuring a peaceful society.
“The poll shows there is huge expectation from the Chief Justice of Nigeria as he begins a new leadership journey and an agenda setting for the Judiciary and the Nigerian State at large.
“It’s time for CJN Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed to restructure and reposition the judiciary arm of government to its pride of place,” says Nelson Olanipekun, the Team Lead at Gavel.
He noted that the role of the judiciary has been to interpret laws and to serve as adjudicator and has been referred to as the last hope of the common man.