The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded that the federal government abstain from judicial matters and immediately stop attempting to meddle in the ongoing legal dispute between Nafiu Bala Gombe and its leadership.
In a statement, ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, claimed that the party had discovered a “disturbing plot by desperate forces within the corridors of power to frustrate the course of justice by mounting pressure on Justice Nwite to step aside from the case so that it can be reassigned to judges perceived to be pliable and politically compliant.”
The party claimed that if this plot is allowed to continue, it would be a direct attack on the judiciary’s integrity and a risky development in the continuous efforts to use state institutions as weapons against the opposition.
ADC stated, “The matter has oddly been scheduled before Justice Nwite for May 8, 2026, despite the fact that the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgement has not yet been released or formally communicated to the trial court.”
“We have good reason to suspect that this unusual haste is part of a deliberate plan to coerce Justice Nwite into recusing himself so that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court can move the case to judges who are purportedly more susceptible to political influence.”
According to the statement, the development goes against the letter and spirit of earlier orders from the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, which mandated an expedited hearing of the case by the substantive trial judge.
Therefore, according to ADC, any attempt to remove the case from Justice Nwite—whether through coordinated pressure, intimidation, blackmail, or administrative manipulation—amounts to a purposeful interference in the proper administration of justice.
In order to stop this perilous slide into judicial compromise, ADC urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the National Judicial Council (NJC), and all men and women of conscience in the judiciary to act immediately.
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