Odinkalu Accuses Supreme Court Justice of Secret Meeting with Edo AG Amid Election Appeal

Prominent human rights advocate and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has stirred national outrage with an explosive claim suggesting judicial compromise in the ongoing Edo State governorship election appeal.

In a tweet posted on June 13, 2025, Odinkalu alleged that a senior male Justice of the Supreme Court was seen exiting Protea Hotel in Benin City at about 8:00 PM on June 12, in the company of the Edo State Attorney-General—a move he implied could undermine judicial neutrality.

“3 days ago, on 10 June, @Aighodalo appealed to @SupremeCourtNg against the decision of @CourtOfAppealNG in the governorship petition. Shortly after 8pm last night, a senior, male JSC left Protea Hotel (near ShopRite in Benin) in the company of the Edo State Attorney-Gen. How so?!”

The allegation comes just three days after Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), filed an appeal with the Supreme Court challenging the ruling of the Court of Appeal which upheld the disputed results of the Edo governorship election.

Odinkalu’s tweet, made via his verified account @ChidiOdinkalu, has set off a firestorm of reactions across social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter). Nigerians described the alleged meeting as yet another example of “justice for sale,” with some warning that continued secrecy and elite collusion could collapse public confidence in the judiciary altogether.

“Nigeria is a crime scene,” one user declared, while another wrote, “The Supreme Court must name and investigate the Justice involved. Transparency is non-negotiable.”

Legal commentators and civil society voices echoed growing alarm, with some referencing Odinkalu’s April 2025 article, “Nigeria and the Fading Lights of Justice”, in which he criticized recurring leaks in electoral tribunal judgments. That article cited how tribunal judge Wilfred Kpochi was forced to affirm the unanimity of a leaked judgment amid public suspicion.

Now, with the Supreme Court set to hear the PDP’s appeal, Odinkalu’s new claim has magnified pressure on Nigeria’s top judicial officers to prove their impartiality.

As of press time, neither the Supreme Court nor the Edo State Government has issued a response to the allegations.