BADEJO-OKUSANYA STORMS NBA ANAOCHA, BARNAWA, URGES DIGITAL CASE HANDLING TO TACKLE CONFLICITNG JUDGMENTS

Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN, FCIArb) has reiterated the importance of mentorship, continuous learning, mutual respect, and collective growth for young lawyers.

Speaking recently at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Barnawa Branch Law Week, Mrs. B, as she is fondly called, also noted that “A united Bar is better positioned to defend the rule of law, safeguard democratic values, and advance access to justice for every citizen.”

While speaking at NBA Anaocha Law Week, the senior lawyer raised “serious concerns” over the growing prevalence of conflicting judgments in Nigeria, describing the development as “one of the gravest institutional threats confronting justice delivery and public confidence in the judiciary.”

She warned that “the real danger lies not merely in legal contradiction but in the erosion of public confidence in the judiciary as the final arbiter of constitutional order and the rule of law.”

Not merely stopping at identifying the challenge, Badejo-Okusanya, who has received the green light from the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) to run for the coveted office of NBA President, emphasized that the crisis of conflicting judgments “is no longer merely a legal issue but an institutional challenge requiring urgent reform, technological modernization, procedural discipline, and renewed commitment by both the Bench and the Bar.”

NBA BARNAWA LAW WEEK: THE STRENGTH OF THE BAR LIES IN ITS UNITY

Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb

At the NBA Barnawa Law Week, I addressed the enduring principle that the strength and dignity of our profession are secured not by individual distinction alone, but by our unity, collaboration, and shared commitment to justice and professional excellence.

The legal profession remains one of the most respected pillars of our society. Its continued relevance, however, depends on our ability to stand together across differences, and to uphold the ethics, integrity, and noble traditions that define the Bar. When we are divided, our voice is diminished. When we are united, our mandate is strengthened.

To young lawyers and all members of the Bar, I reiterated the importance of mentorship, continuous learning, mutual respect, and collective growth. A united Bar is better positioned to defend the rule of law, safeguard democratic values, and advance access to justice for every citizen.

I commend the leadership and members of the NBA Barnawa Branch for convening a Law Week that has been both remarkable and impactful. It has provided a platform for meaningful engagement and reminded us that the Bar achieves its greatest purpose when it speaks with one voice and works with one purpose.

The future of the legal profession is brighter when we choose unity over division, and service over self-interest.

Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb
Partner, ALP NG & Co.

MRS. OYINKANSOLA BADEJO-OKUSANYA, SAN PROPOSES NATIONAL DIGITAL CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO TACKLE CONFLICTING JUDGMENTS IN NIGERIA

Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb, has raised serious concerns over the growing prevalence of conflicting judgments in Nigeria, describing the development as one of the gravest institutional threats confronting justice delivery and public confidence in the judiciary.

Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya made the remarks while delivering a paper titled “Justice Delivery and the Prevalence of Conflicting Judgments in Nigeria: Historical Evolution, Causes, Consequences and the Imperative for Reform” at the NBA Anaocha Branch Law Week.

In her presentation, the Learned Silk traced the historical evolution of conflicting judgments from ordinary judicial divergence within the common law tradition to what she described as a disturbing pattern of contradictory orders, forum shopping, multiplicity of suits, and politically consequential judicial inconsistencies.

According to her, the real danger lies not merely in legal contradiction but in the erosion of public confidence in the judiciary as the final arbiter of constitutional order and the rule of law.

“The greater danger lies in the erosion of public confidence that we are witnessing in the judiciary as the final arbiter of constitutional order and the Rule of Law,” she stated.

Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya identified forum shopping as one of the major drivers of conflicting judgments in Nigeria, stressing that litigants often deliberately search for favourable jurisdictions, thereby creating multiplicity of actions and inconsistent judicial outcomes.

She further lamented the abuse of ex parte proceedings in political and electoral matters, noting that what was originally intended as an exceptional remedy for urgent situations has increasingly become an instrument of political warfare.

The Learned Silk also highlighted the absence of a fully integrated digital judicial infrastructure capable of detecting similar pending suits across jurisdictions, describing the situation as extraordinary in the digital age.

On the consequences of conflicting judgments, she warned that the trend has continued to weaken public trust in the judiciary, destabilise the rule of law, deepen political crises, and damage Nigeria’s international legal reputation.

As part of the proposed solutions, Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya advocated for:

a national integrated judicial technology system;
stricter limitations on ex parte orders, especially in political matters;
specialised constitutional and political litigation panels;
stronger professional accountability for lawyers; and
continuous judicial education on ethics, electoral adjudication, and digital coordination.

She emphasized that the crisis of conflicting judgments is no longer merely a legal issue but an institutional challenge requiring urgent reform, technological modernization, procedural discipline, and renewed commitment by both the Bench and the Bar.

The Learned Silk concluded with a strong call for collective responsibility within the legal profession, urging lawyers and judges alike to protect the integrity of the justice system and restore confidence in the rule of law.

The imperative for reform is not optional. It is urgent. And we have a moral duty to be part of it,” she stated.The liberty of a citizen must never become collateral damage in professional rivalries among lawyers.

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