President Bola Tinubu has said that accountable judicial systems will solve the resurgence of military coups and strengthen democracy across West Africa.
Presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngalale, in a statement on Thursday, said the President made these remarks at a meeting with a delegation from the ECOWAS Judicial Council led by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Council, at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.
“We are committed to transformative democracy because we believe the judiciary can protect democracy. We are ready to support you as learned minds with the requisite experience and institutional memory to comprehensively reform our institutions.
“I assure you, as Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, that the judiciary is one of the pillars to protect our democracy, and it is only in this regard that we can make a difference on the continent,” the President said.
President Tinubu congratulated judges from member states who participated in the two-day council meeting in Abuja, applauding the successful conclusion of their deliberations.
He assured them that their recommendations would be considered by the heads of state and government of ECOWAS.
“We will work with you to ensure that your expertise is employed to promote justice in our democratic experiences on the continent and in the region. You are truly the last hope of the common man across our sub-region,” President Tinubu added.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Judicial Council, Justice Ariwoola emphasised the council’s commitment to facilitating the effective functioning of the ECOWAS judicial system.
At the end of its meeting in Abuja, he said the council agreed to establish two sub-committees to address pertinent judiciary-related issues in the region.
He also said the first sub-committee would look into the council’s rules of procedure, which were found to be inadequate.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria explained that members from Benin Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone have been tasked to work on the rules of procedure on the Judicial Council.
Justice Ariwoola further explained that the Council of Ministers had tasked the Judicial Council, in collaboration with the Commission and the Community Court, to address the enforcement of judgements issued by the Community Court.
“The court, under the guidance of its President, has made presentations which have adequately informed the Judicial Council on the issues and challenges encountered in the enforcement of the judgements. The Judicial Council thought that a second committee was required to tackle the issue because of the complexity of the matter.
“The members of this second sub-committee are Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cabo Verde, and Togo,” he added.
Justice Ariwoola stated that both sub-committees would present their findings to the Judicial Council, which would subsequently make recommendations to the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
Recalls that there have been several military coups in the West Africa region since 2000, including the July 2023 Niger coup.
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