The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to urgently step into a reported attempt to influence an ongoing court case, alleging that government agents were putting pressure on Hon. Justice Nwite to withdraw from a matter involving Nafiu Gombe.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said in a statement on Thursday that the ADC had received credible information that some forces within government circles were allegedly trying to influence the judicial process by pressuring Hon. Justice Nwite to recuse himself from the case.
According to the party, the move is aimed at creating room for the case to be reassigned to judges believed to be more open to political influence.
The ADC noted that the development, if allowed to continue, could weaken public trust in the courts and pose a threat to democratic institutions in the country.
READ RELATED STORY
Okonkwo – Fear of primary election forced Obi out of ADC
ADC media director accuses Kwankwaso of working for Tinubu
Kwankwaso, others to resign from ADC after Obi’s exit
“We must state unequivocally that judicial recusal is not a toy for political convenience. It is an extraordinary measure guided by law, facts, and established judicial principles, not by whispers from desperate political actors seeking favourable outcomes through the backdoor,” the statement said.
The party also questioned what it called the unusual speed with which the matter was fixed for hearing on May 8 before Justice Nwite, despite the fact that the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgement, according to the party, had not yet been released or formally communicated to the trial court.
The ADC said the timing prompted concerns and gave reason to believe that a plan might be underway to force the judge out of the case.
The party insisted that both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court had earlier directed that the matter should be heard quickly by the substantive trial judge, adding that any attempt to remove the case from Justice Nwite through pressure, intimidation, blackmail, or administrative action would amount to direct interference in the administration of justice.
The ADC therefore urged the National Judicial Council, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and senior judicial officers to act quickly and protect the independence of the courts.
The party said, “We therefore call on the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and all men and women of conscience within the judiciary to urgently intervene and halt this dangerous descent into judicial compromise.”
The ADC also called on the international community and diplomatic missions in Nigeria to monitor the situation closely.
The statement read, ““The ADC further calls on . . . the international community, and diplomatic missions in Nigeria to pay close attention to these dangerous developments and impress it upon the Nigerian government that democracy cannot survive where courts are manipulated to serve partisan interests.
The independence of the judiciary remains the bedrock of every democratic society and any attempt by state actors to intimidate judges, influence judicial assignments, or interfere in politically sensitive cases strikes at the very heart of constitutional governance.”
