Human rights lawyer and former President of the West African Bar Association (WABA), Femi Falana (SAN), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate leadership by ensuring Nigeria complies with the judgments of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

In a statement reacting to remarks made by President Tinubu during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, Falana challenged the sincerity of the ECOWAS leadership’s commitment to the rule of law and democratic values.

President Tinubu, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, had praised the regional body’s commitment to democratic norms, citing institutions like the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice as key pillars of accountability and people-centred governance.

But Falana disagreed, saying, “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.”

He particularly condemned the blatant disregard for the ECOWAS Court’s rulings, citing a record number of unenforced judgments across the region. As of December 2024, Nigeria tops the list with 44 unenforced judgments, followed by Togo (27), Guinea (15), Mali (10), Sierra Leone (9), and several others.

Falana further pointed out the irony that several former heads of state — including Charles Taylor (Liberia), Laurent Gbagbo (Côte d’Ivoire), Boni Yayi (Benin), Mamadou Tanja (Niger), and Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso) — who once ignored the Court’s rulings later turned to the same institution for protection of their human rights after leaving office.

“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,” Falana stated.

He urged President Tinubu to immediately instruct the Attorney-General, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to enforce all outstanding ECOWAS Court judgments, calling it a necessary step to restore the nation’s credibility and reinforce ECOWAS’s legal framework.

“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 concluded.