ICJ POLL: Why Nigeria Seeks Global Support for Dr. Taoheed Elias Nomination.
The Federal Government has called on the international community to support the candidacy of Dr. Taoheed Olufemi Elias for election as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
At a presentation ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, formally introduced Dr. Elias to members of the Diplomatic Corps ahead of the ICJ election scheduled for November 12, 2025. The election will fill a vacancy on the court following the retirement of a sitting judge.
Ambassador Tuggar said Nigeria was confident in Dr. Elias’s qualifications and international experience, describing him as “a jurist of learning, integrity, and vision.” He noted that Nigeria’s last representation at the ICJ was through the late Justice Bola Ajibola, who served until 1994.
The minister also stressed that no country from the ECOWAS subregion has held a seat on the ICJ since 2011, when Judge Abdul Koroma of Sierra Leone completed his tenure. He said Dr. Elias’s election would restore West Africa’s voice to the court and promote equitable geographical representation.
“This long silence must end,” Tuggar said. “West Africa must once again help shape the conscience of the international legal order.”
He urged member states of the United Nations to support Dr. Elias’s election in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, describing the move as an opportunity to strengthen justice, diversity, and fairness in global governance.
Dr. Elias, who currently serves as a Judge ad hoc at the ICJ, has more than 30 years of international legal and diplomatic experience. He has held senior positions at the United Nations, the World Bank Administrative Tribunal, and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
He also chairs the Administrative Tribunals of the OPEC Fund (Vienna) and the Islamic Development Bank (Jeddah), and lectures in International Law at Queen Mary University of London.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar at the presentation ceremony in Abuja,
In his remarks, Dr. Elias expressed readiness to serve, saying his blend of academic and judicial experience would enable him to contribute effectively to the ICJ’s work.
“To serve effectively on the ICJ, one must combine intellectual expertise with hands-on judicial experience,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Umar Dunoma Ahmed, thanked members of the diplomatic community for their presence at the event, describing it as a reflection of Nigeria’s strong international partnerships.
He expressed optimism that the country’s foreign partners would continue to collaborate with Nigeria in promoting peace, justice, and the rule of law globally.
Ambassador Tuggar said the nomination of Dr. Elias reaffirms Nigeria’s belief that “law, not power, should govern relations among nations,” adding that his election would ensure Africa’s continued contribution to global justice.