Falana tells Tinubu to end disobedience of ECOWAS Court judgments embarrassing Nigeria
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Femi Falana SAN – human rights lawyer and former West African Bar Association (WABA) President – has implored Bola Tinubu to demonstrate leadership by ensuring Nigeria complies with the judgments of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Falana made the point in reaction to remarks the President made at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, challenging the sincerity of ECOWAS leadership to the rule of law and democratic values.
Tinubu, current chair of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, at the event praised the commitment of ECOWAS to democratic norms, citing the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice as key pillars of accountability and people-centred governance.
But Falana countered in a statement that, “With respect, the ECOWAS leaders have failed to uphold democratic norms and the rule of law. Hence, the region continues to witness unconstitutional changes of government.”
He condemned the blatant disregard for ECOWAS Court rulings, citing a record number of unenforced judgments across the region.
As of December 2024, Nigeria tops the list with 44 unenforced judgments, followed by Togo (27), Guinea (15), Mali (10), Sierra Leone (9), and several others.
Falana noted the irony that several former Heads of State – including Charles Taylor (Liberia), Laurent Gbagbo (Côte d’Ivoire), Boni Yayi (Benin), Mamadou Tanja (Niger), and Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso) – who once ignored the court’s rulings later turned to the same institution for protection of their human rights after leaving office.
“In 2014, Nigeria designated the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice as the competent authority for enforcing ECOWAS Court judgments. It is embarrassing that Nigeria, under President Tinubu’s leadership as ECOWAS Chairman, is leading the list of violators,” Falana pointed out.
He urged Tinubu to immediately instruct Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi to enforce all outstanding ECOWAS Court judgments, calling it a necessary step to restore Nigeria’s credibility and reinforce the legal framework of ECOWAS.
“To end the unwarranted embarrassment, Nigeria must lead by example. Compliance with ECOWAS Court rulings is not optional – it is a legal and moral obligation.”
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