Mounting pressure is building on Seyi Makinde as lawyers in Ibadan warn that the state’s justice system is edging toward dysfunction. What appears on the surface as routine complaints about funding is, on closer inspection, a deeper institutional breakdown affecting courts, judges, and public access to justice.

At stake is not just administrative efficiency, but the credibility of the legal system in one of Nigeria’s key states.

On April 25, 2026, the Ibadan branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) publicly criticised the Oyo State Government over what it described as chronic underfunding and neglect of the judiciary.

Speaking during a visit by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NBA chairman Ibrahim Lawal laid out a series of concerns:
• Rent Tribunals and Customary Courts are largely non-functional
• Grade C Customary Courts have not operated effectively since the era of former governor Abiola Ajimobi
• Magistrates lack basic tools, including official vehicles

Lawal did not mince words:
“It is unacceptable that a magistrate who sits in judgment over criminals has to board the same bus as those same individuals.”

He added that such conditions could compromise both judicial independence and public trust.

A closer look shows this is no longer just about budget allocations—it is about whether the justice system can still function effectively.

For instance, the NBA revealed that electricity to the Customary Court of Appeal was recently disconnected due to unpaid bills, a situation that symbolises deeper neglect.

Even more telling:
• The Ministry of Justice reportedly relies on privately donated equipment, including a generator
• A once-deplorable law library was only restored through external intervention

“Staff sometimes appeal to individuals for basic support to run the ministry,” Lawal said.

What makes this more complex is that these failures are not isolated to infrastructure—they extend to human capacity and morale. Judicial staff outside Ibadan reportedly face reduced salaries and inadequate transport allowances, widening inequality between urban and rural justice systems.

Judicial strength is closely tied to economic confidence. Investors, businesses, and even small traders depend on:
• Contract enforcement
• Dispute resolution
• Property rights protection

When lower courts—like Rent Tribunals and Customary Courts—stop functioning, the immediate impact is felt in housing disputes, land conflicts, and small-scale commercial disagreements.

In practical terms, this means:
• Slower resolution of landlord-tenant conflicts
• Increased informal settlements of disputes
• Higher risk for small businesses operating without legal protection

Nigeria has faced similar patterns before. Periods of weak judicial funding have historically correlated with case backlogs, delayed justice, and rising informal dispute systems, which often lack transparency.

The NBA also pointed to structural bottlenecks:
• The High Court Complex project in Ring Road, Ibadan remains uncompleted
• Judicial appointments are slowed by lack of basic provisions, such as vehicles

These delays compound existing pressures, increasing caseloads and slowing justice delivery across the state.

While acknowledging progress in other sectors, the NBA’s position introduces a sharper contrast: governance gains elsewhere may be undermined by judicial neglect.

“We use this opportunity to appeal to the governor to urgently take action… before leaving office,” Lawal said.

That framing signals urgency—not just for reform, but for legacy and institutional stability.

The bigger risk is not just reputational—it is structural. A weakened judiciary can quietly erode governance, discourage investment, and deepen inequality in access to justice.

What the Oyo State Government does next will determine whether this remains a warning signal or becomes a full-blown institutional crisis.