Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeyinka Kotoye recommends amendment of Nigeria’s laws

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeyinka Kotoye has recommended a compelling need to amend most of laws in Nigeria, pointing out that what the country has now is a judiciary that is quasi unitary in nature, especially, the Appellate structure.

Penpushing reports that Kotoye made the recommendation while delivering a paper titled ‘Leadership and Followership’ at the 6th annual edition of the Leadership Empowerment International Conference (LEIC NIGERIA 2025), held in Abeokuta.

The legal practitioner and prominent member of Penpushing platform argued that in a federal system, he sees no reason why the various states, should not have their own appellate system, stressing that, two or more states, for the purpose of reducing costs, may combine to establish one.

Penpushing further reports that Kotoye emphasized that in this connection, not all appeals, will have to go the Federal Appeal Courts; adding that only matters of constitutional importance and those strictly relating to the operations of the Federal Government, will get to the Federal Appeal Courts

‘Arising from the above, there will therefore be a compelling need to amend most of our laws. Matters such as disputes arising from customary marriages, contract, land tenure system, ownership and title, will terminate at the relevant State Appellate levels’, he said. Only matters of constitutional importance and those strictly relating to the operations of the Federal Government, will get to the Federal Appeal Courts’, Kotoye stated

Penpushing also reports that he declared that he is a strong advocate of state police, pointing out that the idea of having a centralized Police structure is not only ancient but also anachronistic in nature.

‘I am a strong advocate of State Police. The idea of having a centralized Police structure is not only ancient but also anachronistic in nature. It’s a relic of colonialism and which does not take cognisance of our peculiarity’, he stated.

Penpushing reports that Kotoye in same vein noted that the country’s electoral system or means of electing leaders also need to be revisited and reformed, stressing that the current mode has failed to give the desired result.

The other recommendations by the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) include: need to have a complete recalibration of our national ethos, norms, beliefs and values, if there is any yet and if there is none, to attempt to establish one

*For us to attain true nationhood, our motto should be “blessed be the tie that binds us” and not “to your tents oh Isreal”. In that connection, I view the constant bashing and ethnic profiling of a section of the country, by this government’s propagandist, as not only an anathema to nationhood, it is also capable of leading us to the point of what gave rise to the civil war;

*We need to renegotiate the bases of our joint existence as a country. Whether you call it restructuring, reforms, constitutional amendments or whatever nomenclature, you may wish to give it. The fact that this current arrangement is not working, is glaring to all of us. I am here not advocating the kind of jamboree, we had in recent past or the sort of circus, currently going on. There must be a sincere and genuine commitment to renegotiate;

*We must develop a leadership system that is flows from bottom to the top. The current system cascade from the top to the bottom and that is why the big man syndrome, who oppress everyone at all times and who also feel that he is above all, including the law;

*Our economy must be private sector driven. Government involvement should be in the agreed areas of regulations, control and standard. I support the removal of oil subsidy, though I believe, it has come rather late and brash. It should have been done as far back as 2011. It is in this context that I agree that the protest of 2012, was merely politically motivated.

*Government should encourage more private sector investment in such areas as aviation, railway/train services, rail lines, road construction, education, production and distribution of fertilizers;

*The powers of the central government should be reduced. Governance and administration should be decentralized. Our Presidency is too powerful and overstaffed. It is often said that we operate the most powerful Presidency in the world. For instance, I am unable to fathom what is the business of the Federal Government with the distribution of fertilizers to farmers

Penpushing further reports that Kotoye, however, explained that he does not possess the competence, to give an all-encompassing view of the topic, but only attempted to contribute his little quota to the national debate, and expressed appreciation to the organisers of the event for giving the platform.

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