Human rights lawyer and former President of the West African Bar Association (WABA), Femi Falana (SAN), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead by example and ensure Nigeria complies with the rulings of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Falana’s remarks came in response to President Tinubu’s speech at the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos.
In his address, Tinubu who currently chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government praised the organization’s commitment to democratic values, highlighting the ECOWAS Parliament and Court as symbols of accountability and people-focused governance.
However, Falana challenged this narrative, accusing ECOWAS leaders of failing to uphold the rule of law.
“With respect, the ECOWAS leaders have failed to maintain democratic norms and the rule of law. That’s why unconstitutional changes of government persist across the region,” Falana said.
He specifically criticized member states’ widespread noncompliance with ECOWAS Court judgments. As of December 2024, Nigeria had the highest number of unenforced rulings—44—followed by Togo (27), Guinea (15), Mali (10), and Sierra Leone (9).
Falana also pointed out the irony that former leaders such as Charles Taylor (Liberia), Laurent Gbagbo (Côte d’Ivoire), and Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso), who once disregarded ECOWAS Court decisions, later turned to the same institution to defend their human rights after leaving office.
He reminded the public that Nigeria officially designated the Attorney-General as the authority responsible for enforcing ECOWAS Court decisions in 2014.
“It is embarrassing that under President Tinubu who chairs ECOWAS Nigeria now leads the list of defaulters,” he said.
Falana urged President Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to immediately implement all outstanding court rulings. He argued that doing so would help restore Nigeria’s credibility and reinforce the rule of law within the region.
“To end this needless embarrassment, Nigeria must set the standard. Compliance with ECOWAS Court rulings is not optional it is both a legal and moral responsibility,” he concluded.
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