Prominent human rights lawyer and former President of the West African Bar Association (WABA), Femi Falana (SAN), has issued a strong appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to demonstrate genuine leadership by ensuring Nigeria complies with the rulings of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Falana’s call comes on the heels of President Tinubu’s remarks during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Tinubu — who currently chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government — lauded the regional bloc’s commitment to democracy, spotlighting institutions such as the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice as central to regional governance.
But in a sharply worded response, Falana questioned the sincerity behind the President’s declarations, accusing ECOWAS leaders of failing to uphold the very democratic principles they claim to champion.
“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,” Falana said.
He raised serious concern over the consistent disregard for judgments delivered by the ECOWAS Court, singling out Nigeria as the worst offender.
According to him, as of December 2024, Nigeria had a staggering 44 unenforced judgments — the highest in the region — trailed by Togo with 27, Guinea with 15, Mali with 10, and Sierra Leone with 9.
Falana also pointed to a pattern of hypocrisy among former West African leaders who once defied the Court’s rulings but later turned to the same Court for protection after leaving office.
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He listed former Presidents Charles Taylor, Laurent Gbagbo, Boni Yayi, Mamadou Tanja, and Blaise Compaoré as examples.
“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,” he added.
Calling for immediate action, Falana urged Tinubu to direct Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) to begin enforcing all outstanding ECOWAS judgments without delay.
He stressed that doing so would restore Nigeria’s international credibility and reinforce ECOWAS’s legal authority.
“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,” he said.
Falana’s remarks are expected to intensify pressure on the Tinubu administration as regional and international observers continue to scrutinize ECOWAS’s stance on justice, rule of law, and democratic governance.