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By Francesca Hangeior, Abuja.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, has called on judges across the country to adopt proactive case management strategies to tackle delays in the administration of justice and strengthen public confidence in the judiciary.

Speaking at the opening of the National Workshop on Case Management for Judges of the Superior Courts of Record, organised by the National Judicial Institute in Abuja on Monday, the CJN said the effectiveness of the judiciary is measured not only by the quality of its judgments but also by the speed and efficiency with which cases are concluded.

She stressed that prolonged litigation, repeated adjournments, procedural abuse and poor scheduling practices continue to undermine access to justice, increase the cost of litigation and weaken public trust in the courts.

“To the ordinary litigant, justice delayed often translates into justice denied,” she said, adding that delays also create uncertainty for businesses and investors while eroding confidence in the rule of law.

Justice Kekere-Ekun noted that effective case management has become a defining indicator of judicial performance worldwide, urging judges to exercise greater control over proceedings, enforce timelines and make effective use of pre-trial procedures to reduce case backlogs.

The Chief Justice also encouraged judicial officers to embrace technology, including electronic filing, virtual hearings, digital case-tracking systems and automated scheduling tools, describing them as essential instruments for improving efficiency while maintaining fairness and due process.

Drawing lessons from jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Singapore and South Africa, she said active judicial leadership and structured case management have significantly improved court efficiency and reduced delays.

She acknowledged that increasing commercial activities, constitutional litigation and rising public expectations have placed greater demands on Nigeria’s judicial system, making continuous reforms and procedural discipline imperative.

The workshop, she explained, is designed to equip judges with practical strategies on docket control, electronic case management, scheduling practices, judgment delivery timelines and other measures aimed at enhancing justice delivery.

Justice Kekere-Ekun urged participants to reflect on existing practices, identify procedural bottlenecks and embrace reforms that promote efficiency without compromising fairness.

She expressed confidence that the workshop would provide practical solutions for reducing delays, improving judicial productivity and building a judiciary that is efficient, technologically responsive and worthy of public trust.

The Chief Justice thereafter declared the workshop open and wished participants fruitful deliberations.

Earlier, The National Judicial Institute (NJI) Justice Babatunde Adejumu in his welcome address called on judges of the Superior Courts of Record to adopt proactive case management practices as a key strategy for improving judicial efficiency and ensuring timely justice delivery across Nigeria.

According to Justice Adejumo, effective case management is essential to reducing case backlogs, eliminating administrative bottlenecks, and preventing unnecessary delays in court proceedings.

The NJI administrator explained that modern case management requires judges to move beyond their traditional adjudicative role by actively supervising cases from filing to conclusion.

He explained that this approach enhances access to justice, promotes fairness, and strengthens public confidence in the judicial system.

While emphasising that judicial education and leadership training remains a critical tools for equipping judges with contemporary case management skills, he added that the workshop provides an important platform for participants to exchange ideas, share best practices, and develop practical solutions to challenges affecting court administration.

The NJI Administrator encouraged participants to engage actively in the sessions and contribute meaningfully to discussions that would improve the administration of justice in their respective courts.

Justice Adejumo also commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJI Board of Governors, Hon. Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun, GCON, FNJI, for her steadfast commitment to judicial capacity building.

He further acknowledged the contributions of the Chairman of the NJI Education Committee, Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro, CFR, JSC, Heads of Courts, facilitators, and session managers for their continued support in advancing judicial excellence.

The workshop is expected to strengthen the capacity of judges to manage cases more efficiently, ultimately contributing to a faster, more responsive, and more effective justice system in Nigeria.

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The Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has emerged.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Isa H. Dashen of the Federal High Court, Lokoja Judicial Division, set aside the court’s earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, which had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.

According to the judgment, the earlier decision was nullified because it affected the legal rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed ownership of the logo used by the NDC but was not joined as a party in the original suit.

Following the ruling, INEC is expected to remove the NDC from its list of recognised political parties.

However, the commission has maintained that it will act only after reviewing the Certified True Copy of the judgment.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission had applied for the court document before taking any decision.

> “We have applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Until we receive it, we cannot be in a position to comment on it. However, the position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment was that INEC rejected NDC’s letter of intent to be registered as a political party,” Haruna said.

The development comes as the NDC continues to face challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party has alleged that it was denied the portal access code required to upload the names of its candidates to INEC’s nomination portal, a situation it says threatens the political aspirations of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso, and other party candidates.

INEC recently shifted the release of portal access codes from June 26 to Monday, June 29, to streamline submissions by eligible political parties.

Under the commission’s timetable, presidential and National Assembly candidates are expected to upload their nomination forms between June 27 and July 11, 2026, while governorship and state assembly candidates have from July 18 to August 8, 2026.

Confirming the denial of access, the NDC’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the party’s request for the upload credentials was unsuccessful.

“We approached INEC to collect the access code to upload the names of our candidates to the INEC portal. They told us that they will get back to us,” he said.

Director added that the party would return to the commission while pursuing legal action to halt the implementation of the court judgment.

“We will go back there by tomorrow. I believe by tomorrow we must have filed a stay of execution in court,” he said.

Full Judgement: