By Mercy Gadia Adi
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives have called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to caution judges against allowing themselves to be used by desperate politicians to derail Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Leader of the Caucus, Hon. Fred Agbedi, the lawmakers expressed deep concern over what they described as a growing trend of judicial interference in the internal affairs of political parties, a development they warned could threaten the country’s democratic stability.
The reaction followed a ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which declined to grant an interim injunction seeking to stop the PDP from holding its scheduled meetings and national convention, but went ahead to make pronouncements that, according to the lawmakers, negated the refusal of the injunction.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by some individuals opposed to the planned national convention of the PDP. The plaintiffs — Austine Nwachukwu, Imo State PDP Chairman; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia State PDP Chairman; and Turnah George, the party’s South-South Secretary, had asked the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prevent the PDP from holding any meetings, congresses, or conventions pending the determination of their substantive suit.
Although the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, refused to grant the ex parte order, he reportedly declared that any steps taken by the party in preparation for its national convention during the pendency of the suit would be null and void.
The lawmakers said such pronouncements could embolden anti-democratic elements determined to frustrate the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
“We are deeply concerned that despite repeated Supreme Court pronouncements against judicial interference in the internal affairs of political parties, some judges continue to make themselves available as instruments in the hands of desperate politicians seeking to subvert democracy and impose a one-party system on Africa’s largest democracy,” the statement read.
They described the development as judicial overreach and warned that it could be interpreted as granting legal cover to those intent on halting the PDP’s internal democratic processes.
“It is unfortunate that the principal actors in this desperate move to manipulate the judicial process are known to have done similar ignoble things in the past which the NJC frowned at, but not before damage had already been done,” they added.
The caucus therefore urged the National Judicial Council to act decisively to prevent further abuse of the judicial process and protect the independence of the judiciary.
“The survival of our democracy depends on the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary. The NJC must ensure that no court becomes a willing tool for the subversion of the will of the people or the destabilization of political institutions”.