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Retired Justice Salami: Peter Obi Should Not Have Been Allowed to Contest 2023 Presidential Election Under Labour Party
Justice Isa Ayo Salami (rtd), former President of the Court of Appeal, has stated that former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, should not have been permitted to contest the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party (LP) platform.
The retired jurist made this assertion on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, during a courtesy visit by representatives of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), who presented him with an award.
Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, founder and executive director of WSCIJ, alongside Motunrayo Alaka, presented the award to Justice Salami at his Ilorin residence. The honour was originally scheduled for December 2025, but the retired justice was unable to attend the ceremony.
Registration Controversy
While speaking after receiving the award, Justice Salami highlighted what he described as inadequacies and incompetence among some members of the judiciary, which he believes have led to questionable verdicts.
He explained that Obi’s name was absent from the Labour Party’s membership register at the time he failed to secure the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Although LP subsequently issued Obi a membership card, his name was not included in the register the party had submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“By the time Peter Obi lost the PDP primary, LP had already submitted its list of members to INEC. The Constitution is clear that there cannot be independent candidacy. How did he become LP’s candidate if he didn’t belong to the party?” Salami questioned.
He drew parallels with the Kano State governor’s situation in 2023, noting that his name was similarly absent from the NNPP’s register despite being issued a membership card by party leadership.
Judicial Competence Concerns
Justice Salami attributed some controversial court decisions to what he termed a “problem of competence” rather than corruption or dishonesty among judges.
“There are few bad eggs amongst some judges. Strictly speaking, I will not say bad eggs. Some of them have problems with learning. They don’t have good backgrounds to be judges. Imagine appointing a higher registrar as a judge. He has no experience. In the past, this would not happen,” he remarked.
He suggested that the proliferation of law faculties across universities and population growth have contributed to the appointment of less qualified individuals to the bench.
“The register is supposed to be the mother of the card. But the Supreme Court countenanced it, even though the tribunal and Appeal Court frowned at it. That is the problem of competence,” Salami added.
Zoning and Judicial Appointments
The retired justice criticized the practice of appointing Supreme Court justices based on zonal vacancies rather than merit and experience.
“People get to the Supreme Court not because they are good but because there is vacancy from their zones. They supersede people who are their seniors, whom they met at the Court of Appeal and who are more experienced than them,” he explained.
Salami cited his own experience as an example: “Some of them who came ten years after I had got to the Court of Appeal got recommended to the Supreme Court by me because my zone did not have vacancy. That is the tragedy we have found ourselves. We hope with time everything will be corrected.”
Award Recognition
Expressing gratitude for the honour bestowed upon him, Justice Salami commended WSCIJ for its work and symbolic gesture.
“I am very happy to receive the award. I hope and pray that your organisation will flourish. There is hardly any judge who will not appreciate this kind of award coming to him,” he stated.
He revealed that Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s audacity and principled stance have significantly influenced Nigerian affairs, and shared how the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo inspired his decision to study law.
“Chief Awolowo was the one that influenced my decision to read law during his treasonable felony trial. When the government prevented his defence counsel from coming into the country from Britain, Chief Awolowo decided to take up his own personal defence. I thought if I go into politics and find myself in the same situation, I should be able to defend myself,” Salami recounted.
About the Award
Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi explained that WSCIJ was established to train journalists, provide resources, and encourage accountability journalism.
“The Wole Soyinka 2025 Human Rights Defenders Awards were for those who worked with integrity and protect the vulnerable. Justice Salami’s distinguished commitment to justice and demonstrated commitment to the rule of law and due process are some of the reasons why he deserved to be honoured,” Olorunyomi said.
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