“Three-Judge Panels, 36 Judges Proposed” — CCT Seeks To Rename Tribunal Anti-Corruption Court, Raise Judges’ Retirement To 75, Staff To 65

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has proposed raising the retirement age to 75 for its judges and 65 for other court staff.

Mainasara I.K. Umar, Chairman of the CCT, presented the proposal on Thursday during a public hearing on a bill to repeal the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap C15, LFN 2004, and enact the Code of Conduct Bureau and Anti-Corruption Court Act, 2025.

The proposed amendments will also be reflected in the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution. The hearing was organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption.

Umar explained that the bill seeks to amend Section 25 to raise judges’ retirement age to 75 and ensure that removal occurs only through a two-thirds legislative resolution, thereby safeguarding judicial independence. The bill also proposes renaming the tribunal the Code of Conduct and Anti-Corruption Court (Section 23).

The Tribunal further recommended a retirement age of 65 for staff to optimize experience and productivity. Other proposed changes include Section 27, which would establish three-judge panels to promote fairness, reduce bias, and maintain a minimum of 36 judges nationwide to prevent case backlogs.

Umar said the amendments would “collectively strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework by establishing a specialized, independent, and well-structured court capable of ensuring swift and effective adjudication of Code of Conduct breaches.” He urged lawmakers to prioritize the bill for accelerated hearing and approval.

In his opening remarks, Hon. Kayode Moshood Akiolu, Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, stressed that strengthening the CCT, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) is vital to combating corruption and restoring Nigerians’ confidence in governance.

He added, “These bills are a necessary and timely response aimed at addressing identified gaps and weaknesses. Our objectives include enhancing operational independence, improving investigative and adjudicatory powers, and ensuring due process and fair hearings for cases involving public officers. A comprehensive consultative process is key to the bill’s success, which is why a broad range of stakeholders has been invited to share their insights.”

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Deputy Minority Leader Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki, said the CCB, CCT, and ICPC were established as watchdog institutions to enforce ethical standards among public officials and prevent abuse of public office for personal gain.

He noted that Nigeria’s evolving democracy and governance landscape necessitates revisiting the enabling frameworks of these institutions to ensure they are adequately strengthened to meet contemporary challenges.

“This public hearing provides an opportunity to critically examine the proposed amendments and evaluate them against our collective national interest,” he said.