The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a strong warning to the federal government, demanding it cease all alleged attempts to interfere in the judicial process concerning the case of Nafiu Bala Gombe, particularly by pressuring Justice Nwite to recuse himself. The party claims that covert efforts are being made to remove Justice Nwite from the case, with the intention of reassigning it to judges perceived as more politically compliant. This development, according to the ADC, is a dangerous escalation in the weaponisation of state institutions against political opposition and a direct threat to judicial independence.
In a statement released on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC revealed that despite the Supreme Court’s judgment not yet being formally communicated to the trial court, the matter has been scheduled for hearing before Justice Nwite on May 8, 2026. The party alleges that this unusual haste is part of a calculated scheme to force the judge’s recusal, thereby creating an opportunity for the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the case to judges more amenable to political influence.
The ADC emphasized that such actions contradict the spirit and letter of directives from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which mandated an accelerated hearing by the substantive trial judge. Any attempt to remove Justice Nwite through administrative manipulation, intimidation, or coordinated pressure, the party stated, constitutes a deliberate interference in the administration of justice. Judicial recusal, they stressed, must be based on law, facts, and established principles—not political convenience or whispered demands from desperate actors.
The party also highlighted that even if petitions exist against a judge, due process requires that all parties be notified and heard before any decision is made. A judge, they argued, cannot abandon their constitutional duty merely because of manufactured allegations. The ADC warned that what is unfolding is an alarming attempt to turn the judiciary into an extension of partisan politics, endangering not only opposition parties but constitutional democracy itself.
The ADC called on the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and all conscientious members of the judiciary to intervene immediately to prevent further erosion of judicial integrity. They also urged the international community and diplomatic missions in Nigeria to monitor these developments closely and remind the government that democracy cannot survive when courts are manipulated for political gain.
The party reiterated that judicial independence is the cornerstone of any democratic society. Any interference by state actors in politically sensitive cases strikes at the heart of constitutional governance. Nigeria, they cautioned, must not descend into an era where justice is determined not by law, but by the whims of political power.
The ADC referenced past democratic failures in Nigeria, including the collapse of the First and Second Republics and the subversion of the June 12, 1993, mandate, to underscore the dangers of judicial complicity in political agendas. They urged current judges to resist attempts to drag the judiciary into political conspiracy, insisting that it must remain the last hope for the common man, not a refuge for politicians afraid of justice. Nigeria’s democracy, they concluded, is too fragile to endure another season of judicial recklessness.
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