By Correspondent in Abuja.
The National Judicial Institute (NJI) has clarified that conflicting judgments or orders issued by courts of coordinate jurisdiction do not signify a failure of the judiciary.
The Administrator of NJI, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, stated this on Thursday in Abuja during a pre-conference media briefing ahead of the 2025 All Nigerian Judges’ Conference.
Responding to recent conflicting orders from courts in Abuja and Ibadan over the forthcoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention, Adejumo explained that such occurrences are natural in every judicial system and contribute to the clarification and development of the law.
According to him, differences in judgments arise from judges’ interpretations of the facts and evidence presented by parties before them, as well as their understanding of the law.
“Judges give judgments based on the facts presented before them and the evidence proved. Even in the United States, which has one of the oldest and most sophisticated judicial systems, state courts often give different opinions on similar issues,” he said.
Justice Adejumo, a former President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), explained that conflicting decisions are ultimately resolved through the hierarchy of courts — from the High Courts to the Court of Appeal and finally the Supreme Court.
“If two or more courts give conflicting decisions on the same subject matter, the appellate courts exist to resolve them. Whatever the Supreme Court decides becomes final and binding,” he added.
He cautioned, however, that it would amount to “judicial rascality” for a lower court to contradict the ruling of a higher court.
“Once the Supreme Court has spoken, no division of the Court of Appeal or any lower court should deliver a contrary decision, except for clarifying ambiguities in interpretation,” he noted.
The NJI Administrator also advocated reforms in court procedures to reduce the incidence of conflicting rulings. He suggested that litigants should be required to swear to an affidavit affirming that a matter has not been filed in any other court, adding that any breach should constitute perjury.
Reflecting on his three decades on the bench, Adejumo recounted his efforts to strengthen the National Industrial Court.
“When I assumed office in 2003, the court had only two divisions ,Lagos and Abuja, and 123 staff members. Through advocacy, we secured the enactment of the National Industrial Court Act, 2006, and later championed a constitutional amendment that established the court as a superior court of record,” he said.
The amendment, he explained, elevated the NICN to the fourth highest court in Nigeria’s judicial hierarchy and granted its president full membership in both the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
Describing the NJI as “the heartbeat of the Nigerian Judiciary”, Adejumo said the institute serves as a platform for judges, legal practitioners, and journalists to engage and assess judicial performance.
He also dispelled misconceptions about the judicial process, emphasising that judges base their decisions strictly on facts, evidence, and the law.
“A judge does not manufacture evidence. In criminal cases, guilt must be proven beyond reasonable doubt, and any element of doubt must be resolved in favour of the accused. It is better for a hundred guilty persons to go free than for one innocent person to be wrongly convicted,” he stated.
Justice Adejumo expressed optimism that the 2025 All Nigerian Judges’ Conference would further deepen judicial understanding, enhance professional standards, and strengthen public confidence in the nation’s justice system.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
