The recent viral footage of Nigeria’s top judges singing the pro-Tinubu anthem ‘On Your Mandate We Shall Stand’ at the 2025 All Nigerian Judges Conference raises serious concerns about the perception and independence of the judiciary.
Development Diaries reports that President Bola Tinubu declared open the recently held All Nigerian Judges Conference, cautioning judicial officers across the country that justice must remain sacred and insulated from corruption.
After declaring that ‘justice must never be for sale’ and that ‘the bench should not become a sanctuary for compromise’, judges were seen rising to the tune of the pro-Tinubu anthem ‘On Your Mandate We Shall Stand’.
Nigeria Judges are now singing “On your mandate” while standing at the 2025 Nigerian Judges Conference..
This doesn’t make sense at all
— Emma ik Umeh (Tcee )🇳🇬 (@emmaikumeh) November 18, 2025
This has raised important questions as to whether the Nigerian judiciary is partisan. Why is the judiciary aligning with the ruling APC?
The judiciary, by design, is meant to be an impartial arbiter, standing above political frays and ensuring justice without fear or favour.
Yet, within minutes of President Bola Tinubu urging judicial officers that ‘the bench should not become a sanctuary for compromise’, judges were seen rising in unison to a song explicitly tied to a political party.
This apparent contradiction sends a troubling signal that partisan loyalty might be influencing the highest judicial offices in the country.
Such an open show of partisanship at a judicial gathering undermines public confidence in the judiciary.
If judges, who are entrusted to interpret the law without bias, appear publicly aligned with the ruling party, it raises questions about their ability to deliver justice fairly.
Citizens could be forgiven for wondering whether the courts are genuinely independent or simply extensions of political authority.
One cannot overlook the optics here: the judiciary, meant to be the check on power, now appears to be cheerleading for it, diminishing its role as the last hope of the common man.
How could a body responsible for upholding the rule of law publicly perform a political anthem while ignoring the nation’s own symbols, such as the national anthem?
The government, too, comes under scrutiny for allowing or perhaps encouraging such acts to occur at an official conference, even as the nation grapples with security crises, including the killing of a general in Borno and the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi.
Without swift clarifications, public trust in both the judiciary and the state risks further deterioration, leaving citizens to question whether their institutions serve justice, or merely political loyalty.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the National Judicial Council, and relevant government authorities must urgently address this crisis of credibility by publicly clarifying the circumstances of the performance and reaffirming the judiciary’s independence from partisan politics.
Photo source: FCT Residents Engagement Platform
