Nigeria, April 8 -- In Imo State, something deeply unsettling has taken root. The judiciary, once the final refuge for order and fairness, now finds itself mired by interference. A disturbing pattern has emerged-one that does not merely undermine the seniority tradition in the judiciary but also discountenance constitutional order. And what's most frightening is not that these breaches happen, but that they continue unchecked, as though the Constitution provisions are mere inconvenience and not the supreme law.

The Nigerian Constitution does not stammer on this issue. When the office of Chief Judge of a state becomes vacant, the Constitution is very clear about what should happen next. Section 271(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Re...