No judge sang pro-Tinubu chorus at conference – NJI

No judge sang pro-Tinubu chorus at conference – NJI

By Jeffrey Agbo

The National Judicial Institute (NJI) has refuted viral social media posts alleging that judges chanted the political refrain “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand” during the opening session of the 2025 All Nigeria Judges Conference in Abuja, describing the reports as “entirely false and unfounded.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its head of information, media and public relations, Kolade Umoru, the NJI said the narrative circulating online distorted the events of the ceremony and represented an attempt to drag a formal judicial programme into partisan controversy.

The institute clarified that the only song participants collectively rendered was the National Anthem, which was taken at both the start and close of the event.

It noted that the short musical piece resembling “On Your Mandate” came solely from the Guards Brigade Band, which performed the tune as part of its official protocol while escorting the President to the podium for his speech.

“The judiciary had no control over the musical selections of the Brigade, which operates under military ceremonial procedures,” the NJI clarified.

According to the institute, judges stood only as a sign of respect for the president’s office, consistent with established protocol, and not as an endorsement of any political message.

Reiterating its institutional impartiality, the NJI emphasised that the judiciary “remains strictly non-partisan, deeply committed to constitutional neutrality, and wholly insulated from political activities or symbols of political allegiance.”

The institute condemned the attempts to impute political motives to judicial officers, describing them as “unfortunate, misleading, and a disservice to the public.”

It urged Nigerians and media outlets to verify information before circulating it and cautioned against the spread of misinformation capable of eroding trust in national institutions.