Prominent economist and investment banker Atedo Peterside has argued that the only effective way to end what he terms “judicial rascality” in Nigeria is by implementing direct disciplinary consequences for judges. Sharing his perspective on social media, Peterside warned that merely expecting appellate courts to rectify flawed decisions emboldens some jurists to prioritize issuing questionable rulings for personal gain.
His comments followed a Federal High Court decision in Lokoja that reversed a previous order requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party. Peterside asserted that failing to penalize judges who deliver unethical verdicts creates a profitable environment for such misconduct to persist. The NDC, unhappy with the latest ruling, has announced its intention to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
