Former Vice Presidential candidate, Tunde Bakare, has raised concerns over poor adherence to professional ethics by Nigerian judges and legal practitioners, saying 55 percent of the country’s lawyers lack the integrity to be hired as defendants and plaintiffs’ counsels.
He noted that the ethical shortcomings evident within the judiciary are largely traceable to deficiencies at the bar, stressing that the bench is ultimately drawn from the pool of practicing lawyers and cannot be better than the system that produces it.
Addressing a large gathering of legal experts, human rights activists, and others yesterday at the 2026 Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture themed: “Integrity Deficiency in the Justice Sector: Whither the Legal Profession?”, the clergyman described the lack of value within the country’s judicial system as a deep-rooted crisis that has far-reaching implications for the country’s legal profession.
He explained that the crisis may get worse year after year as more young lawyers join the profession and receive mentorship from their senior colleagues who lack integrity within the system.
Bakare argued that the recent integrity test conducted for lawyers nominated for appointment as judges, in which 34 out of 62 candidates reportedly failed the screening, remains a major issue that should pose concern to all legal practitioners across the country.
The former Vice Presidential candidate noted that the development exposes deep-rooted value deficiencies at the bar that ultimately reflect on the quality of the bench.
According to him, this speaks volumes about the quality of judges appointed, particularly those who did not undergo such rigorous scrutiny before assuming office.
The cleric stressed that the overall standard of a legal system constituted in the absence of a critical pre-appointment evaluation would be a lack of integrity, which the country is currently experiencing.
“While it is commendable that the National Judicial Council (NJC) under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun subjected potential judges to such scrutiny, it is disheartening that the exercise indicates that approximately 55% of Nigerian lawyers lack integrity,” he added.
To address the challenges, Bakare emphasized that the Independent Corrupt Practices (ICPC) and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should beam its searchlight on the workings of the judiciary.
He added that the anti-corruption agency should collaborate with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and NJC to implement an annual, data-driven evaluation of the judicial system.
According to Bakare, such a framework would leverage credible data to identify and expose corruption, inefficiencies, and systemic weaknesses, thereby fostering accountability and transparency within the sector.
He stressed that these institutional reforms should be reinforced through robust governance measures, particularly by ensuring the complete financial independence of the judiciary.
This, he noted, should be in strict accordance with existing constitutional provisions and relevant laws that mandate first-line charge deductions from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, guaranteeing that judicial funding remains free from external interference and political influence.
Bakare argued that only through the combination of data-driven oversight and financial autonomy could the judiciary function effectively, uphold public trust, and maintain its role as a cornerstone of justice in Nigeria.
Reflecting on his personal experience with Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Bakare underscored the late legal icon’s profound sense of responsibility to the nation, which drove him to courageously place himself in harm’s way in defense of the poor, the vulnerable, and the principles of the law against oppressive regimes.
Fawehinmi’s actions, he noted, were guided by an extraordinary empathy and genuine concern for the people he represented, often taking on cases pro bono and tirelessly advocating for justice, even extending his commitment to defending the rights and legacies of clients posthumously.
This unwavering dedication, Tunde emphasized, set the legal icons apart as lawyers whose career was defined not by personal gain but by a deep moral obligation to serve society and uphold the rule of law.
“It is impossible to forget how Gani threw himself into uncovering the perpetrators of Dele Giwa’s murder, despite the threat to life and family. It was during this time I learnt from this enigma in the conundrum of flesh that courage is not the absence of fear, courage is character under fire,” he added.
