PDP Convention: REPS Urge NJC To Warn Judges Against Being Used To Truncate Democracy
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 being used by desperate politicians to derail Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Leader of the PDP Caucus, Honourable 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 practice that, according to them, poses a grave threat to the country’s democratic stability.
The statement 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 orders which negate the benefits of his ruling refusing the interim injunction.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by some individuals who has consistently opposed the planned national convention of the PDP.
The plaintiffs, namely Austine Nwachukwu, PDP Chairman in Imo State; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Chairman of the Abia State Chapter; and Turnah George, the South-South Secretary of the party, 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 declined to grant the ex parte order, he then made pronouncements to the effect that any steps taken by the party during the pendency of the suit would be null and void, a pronouncement the lawmakers said could be interpreted as indirectly enabling those seeking to disrupt the party’s 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 on Africa’s largest democracy.
We are worried that while Justice James Omotosho refused the grant of the restraining order asked by the plaintiffs in this case, he still went ahead to declare that any action taken by party in preparation for its National convention during the pendency of the suit shall be null and void, might embolden anti-democratic elements determined to truncate democratic process in Nigeria.
These pronouncements clearly provide an enabler for those who do not want the PDP National convention to hold so that the main opposition political party in Nigeria will not be able to present candidates in the Presidential and other elections in 2027.
It is worrisome that while the court refused to grant the restraining order requested by the plaintiffs, it still made pronouncements that could be interpreted as providing legal cover for those intent on halting the PDP’s democratic processes. This, in our view, amounts to judicial overreach,” the lawmakers stated.
The PDP lawmakers noted that 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 unfortunately which the damage had already been done.
They therefore urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to act decisively to prevent any abuse of the judicial process that could undermine multi-party democracy in Nigeria.
“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,” the statement concluded.
