Oyo Deputy Gov Calls For Harmony Between Bar, Bench As New Legal Year Opens

The Oyo State Deputy Governor, Barr. Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Lawal, has called for sustained harmony between members of the Bar and the Bench, urging judges to conduct themselves as leaders of society with patience, tolerance and understanding.

Barr. Lawal gave the charge on Monday at the special service marking the opening of the 2026/2027 Legal Year held at the Oyo State Judiciary Central Mosque, Ibadan.

He said the new legal year is a moment of reflection, rededication and renewal, and an opportunity to take stock of progress made and recommit to dispensing justice without fear or favour.

While commending the Chief Judge, Hon. Justice I. S. Yerima, and other judges for their industry, sacrifice and integrity in the outgoing legal year, the Deputy Governor noted that the rule of law is not an abstract slogan.

“It is the covenant that binds the governed and those who govern,” he said, stressing that no one is above the law and every citizen must have confidence that cases will be heard fairly by an independent tribunal.

Accoridmg to Barr. Lawal, the rule of law is a shared responsibility. The Bench must remain fearless and incorruptible while the Bar must place duty to the court and justice above victory at all costs.

While urging law enforcement agencies to respect citizens’ rights, he cautioned against abuse of judicial process, including forum shopping, abuse of ex parte orders and multiplicity of suits, warning that conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction erode public confidence.

On the electoral calendar, the Deputy Governor noted that President Bola Tinubu assented to the Electoral Act 2026 on February 18, 2026, fixing Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, and Governorship and State Assembly polls for February 6, 2027.

He said the new Act has already generated litigation and urged judges to handle pre-election matters with dispatch and neutrality within the time limits prescribed by Section 285 of the Constitution.

“Elections must be won at the ballot box, not manufactured through the courtroom,” he said.

Barr. Lawal also referenced the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, on state police, transmitted by the National Assembly to state Houses of Assembly in September 2026 for ratification. He said Oyo State supports decentralised policing and urged the Bench and Bar to study the framework ahead of its potential implementation.

He disclosed that the process for appointing new judges is at an advanced stage in line with Section 271 of the Constitution, aimed at reducing caseload, strengthening judicial divisions in Ibadan, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Oyo, decongesting correctional centres and bringing justice closer to the people.

The Deputy Governor reaffirmed the Makinde administration’s commitment to judicial independence, financial autonomy, welfare of judicial officers and investment in court infrastructure, including e-filing and virtual hearings.

He urged members of the Bar to uphold ethical standards, avoid frivolous applications and unnecessary adjournments, and called on court staff to demonstrate diligence and integrity.

Barr. Lawal, who said he was proud of the Oyo State judiciary for dispensing justice without fear or favour and projecting the state positively, however described the Oyo judiciary as incorruptible.

On the Deputy Governor’s entourage were the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Hon. Mojeed Mogbonjubola; Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Kamorudeen Aderibigbe, and other top government functionaries.