A human rights lawyer and public advocate, Barrister Christopher Chidera, has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his Independence Day address, describing the President’s remarks against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as prejudicial, contemptuous, and a violation of constitutional principles.

In a statement issued on October 1, 2025, Chidera accused the President of undermining judicial independence by equating IPOB with Boko Haram terrorists while court cases involving the group and its leader are still ongoing.

“Predetermining Judicial Outcomes”
The lawyer argued that Tinubu’s remarks amounted to an attempt to influence judicial proceedings from the presidency, noting that the Federal High Court in Abuja is still presiding over Nnamdi Kanu’s trial, while the Supreme Court is considering IPOB’s appeal against its proscription.

“For the President to denounce IPOB alongside Boko Haram while these matters are sub judice is nothing less than a crude attempt to predetermine judicial outcomes from Aso Rock,” Chidera said.

Violation of Fair Trial Rights
Citing Section 36(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing, Chidera warned that Tinubu’s utterances cast Kanu and IPOB into public condemnation before the courts had delivered judgment.

“The President of Nigeria is not a private citizen with a right to barroom chatter; he is the Chief Executive whose pronouncements weigh upon the judiciary like the sword of Damocles,” he stated.

He also recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari had made similar remarks, which were excused by a controversial court ruling. According to Chidera, Tinubu’s reliance on such precedent only “deepens the wound of injustice.”

Comparative Standards and International Law
The rights lawyer referenced global legal precedents, including the European Court of Human Rights ruling in Incal v. Turkey (1998), which condemned executive labelling of accused persons as terrorists during pending trials. He also cited Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which prohibits executive interference in judicial matters.

Call to Action
Chidera described Tinubu’s speech as “a disgrace to the office he holds” and called on IPOB’s defence team to challenge what he termed “executive interference” both in Nigerian courts and at international tribunals.

“The world is watching. Nigeria is on trial. The question is whether we are still a nation governed by laws or a polity enslaved by the reckless tongue of its rulers,” he concluded.