The Secretary-General of the Nigerian League of Columnists, Prof. Anthony Kila, has condemned the viral scene of judges chanting President Bola Tinubu’s campaign anthem, “On your mandate we shall stand,” describing it as a national embarrassment and a blow to judicial integrity.
The incident occurred on Monday at the All Nigeria Judges’ Conference in Abuja, moments after the president concluded his address in which he warned judicial officers that the bench “must never be a sanctuary for compromise.”
Despite the solemnity of the event, a group of judges broke into the political chant—an action that has since drawn widespread criticism.
Speaking on Arise News, Kila said the gesture violated the neutrality expected of judicial officers.
“It’s a big shame,” he said. “The judiciary is an institution I hold in awe and great respect, but they are not helping matters. Going to that conference and singing ‘On your mandate we shall stand’ is disgraceful. Even if it was just one person, it is unacceptable.”
Kila revealed that a senior judge he spoke with attempted to downplay the incident, asking what could have been done to stop it.
“I told him someone should have stood up and said, ‘No, don’t do this here.’ Even a simple hand gesture to stop it would have earned a place in history,” he said.
He stressed that some judges present did not support the chant—not out of political opposition, but out of respect for institutional neutrality.
“Partisan politics, especially in Nigeria, corrupts, intoxicates, and weakens you,” Kila warned, urging the judiciary to safeguard its independence and public trust.
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