Tinubu Writes Senate, Seeks More Judges For Nigeria’s Courts

According to Ireporter Online, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally written to the Nigerian Senate, requesting legislative amendments aimed at increasing the number of judges across key courts in the country as part of broader judicial reforms.

The request was conveyed through a Judicial Reform Bill forwarded to the National Assembly, in which the President highlighted the need to strengthen the judiciary and effectively manage the rising backlog of court cases nationwide.

During plenary on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the President’s letter, which outlined proposals to amend the Court of Appeal Act by increasing the number of justices from 70 to 110. The President also sought amendments to the Federal High Court Act to expand the number of judges to 90, up from the current statutory limit of 70 and the original provision of 50.

President Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the proposed legislation accelerated consideration in the interest of judicial efficiency and timely justice delivery. Following the presentation, the bills were referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative processing.

In a related development, the President also asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of Justice Oyewole Joseph Kayode as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, following his recommendation by the National Judicial Council.

Additionally, the Senate received a separate Court of Appeal Amendment Bill proposing the creation of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre to encourage the settlement of suitable cases outside the conventional court system. This bill was likewise referred to the Committee on Rules and Business.

Furthermore, President Tinubu submitted another communication seeking amendments to 24 health sector-related bills, with the aim of addressing concerns surrounding excessively large board memberships in government health institutions.