By Fatima Ndagi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to caution judges against being used by desperate politicians to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
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 rising trend of judicial interference in the internal affairs of political parties — warning that such actions threaten the stability of the nation’s democratic system.
The caucus was reacting to a recent ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja which, while refusing to grant an interim injunction to stop the PDP from holding its scheduled meetings and national convention, nonetheless made pronouncements that the lawmakers said could be interpreted as undermining that same decision.
The suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by Austine Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah George (South-South Zonal Secretary). The plaintiffs had sought to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the PDP from conducting any meetings, congresses, or conventions pending the determination of their substantive suit.
Although Justice James Omotosho declined to grant the restraining order, he declared that any actions taken by the party while the suit was pending would be null and void — a pronouncement the lawmakers said could embolden anti-democratic forces bent on frustrating the party’s legitimate activities.
“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 caucus stated.
The lawmakers warned that the ruling’s implications could be far-reaching, potentially obstructing the PDP’s preparations for its national convention and even its ability to field candidates for the 2027 general elections.
“It is worrisome that while the court refused to grant the restraining order, it still made pronouncements that could be seen as providing legal cover for those intent on halting the PDP’s democratic processes. This, in our view, amounts to judicial overreach,” the statement added.
They described the development as a deliberate attempt by certain political actors to manipulate the judiciary for partisan advantage, recalling similar incidents in the past that drew the NJC’s reprimand but not before causing significant damage to the democratic process.
The caucus, therefore, urged the National Judicial Council to act decisively to forestall any abuse of the judicial process capable of eroding public confidence in the courts or undermining multiparty democracy.
“The survival of our democracy depends on the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary,” the statement concluded. “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.”
