The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency has defended the appointment of Barrister Aminu Junaidu as Chairman of the Investment and Securities Tribunal, IST, stating it followed due process and was constitutionally valid. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the Centre's Executive Director, Pastor David D. Yakubu, rejected allegations that the appointment breached the Investment and Securities Act 2025, calling them baseless. Junaidu assumed office on October 26, 2025, after being appointed by President Bola Tinubu. The Centre affirmed that the President acted within his constitutional authority, and that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation's role in announcing the appointment was a routine administrative step. Yakubu highlighted Junaidu's background as former Attorney-General of Zamfara State, underscoring his experience in legal and institutional governance. The Centre also pointed to international recognition of the IST's reforms, noting that on March 13, 2026, the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria visited the tribunal, followed by a delegation from Ethiopia's capital market institutions on March 27, 2026. Yakubu described these visits as signs of growing confidence in the IST's direction.
Pastor David D. Yakubu's robust defence of Aminu Junaidu's appointment reveals more than legal validation—it exposes the political temperature surrounding appointments in Nigeria's financial institutions. By positioning the Centre as a neutral validator, the narrative attempts to depoliticise a decision that sits firmly within the executive's discretionary power, yet remains subject to public contestation. The emphasis on President Tinubu's constitutional authority is less about legal clarification and more about reinforcing the administration's control over key economic appointments.
The timing and framing of the Centre's intervention suggest an effort to pre-empt or counter legal and institutional pushback, particularly from capital market stakeholders wary of executive overreach. Citing visits by Ethiopian officials on March 13 and March 27, 2026, as proof of the IST's growing credibility serves to externalise legitimacy, using foreign interest as a shield against domestic criticism. This reflects a broader trend where international attention is leveraged to bolster domestic policy credibility, even when local scrutiny remains unresolved.
For investors and market operators, the stability of regulatory institutions directly affects confidence in Nigeria's financial systems. Any perception of procedural irregularity, whether factual or not, can influence decisions on capital deployment. By anchoring the appointment in both constitutional authority and measurable reforms, the message is clear: continuity and outcomes matter more than process debates.
This episode fits a pattern where high-level appointments trigger legal and public relations responses designed to manage perception as much as policy.
