18/12/2025
WHO IS JUSTICE OBANDE
FESTUS OGBUINYA?
HON JUSTICE OBANDE FESTUS OGBUINYA is the highest ranking male judge from Igbo extraction, World over.
He hails from Umuogudu Akpu Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ebonyi State.
Born on 16th June 1965.
Justice Ogbuinya began his educational career at the State Primary School, Oriaja, Ngbo, and his secondary education at the Uga Boys’ Secondary School, UGA, Anambra State.
He obtained a Bachelor of Law degree at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, in 1988 and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, for his BL in 1989.
He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Ebonyi State on 21st May 2002 and later elevated to the Court of Appeal on 30th November 2010.
He served as a member, governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly Election Petition tribunals in Edo, Ekiti, and Lagos States.
In 2020, Justice Ogbuinya read the lead judgement that nullified the tribunal decision and affirmed Duoye Diri as duly elected governor of Bayelsa State.
In 2016, Ogbuinya was the only judge who dissented on the declaration of Yahaya Bello as Governor of Kogi State in a suit brought by Idris Wada (PDP) He annulled the election in his minority judgement.
In 2011, Justice Ogbuinya was a member of the 5-man Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) that dismissed the suit of CPC's Muhammadu Buhari, and re-affirmed Goodluck Jonathan as duly elected.
The learned jurist was conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.
Justice Ogbuinya is married to Dr Nkiru Edith, a senior lecturer at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria on February 26th, 2024.
