The African Democratic Congress has alleged attempts to pressure Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja Division to withdraw from the Nafiu Bala Gombe case, warning that such actions could undermine the integrity of the judicial process.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC claimed that powerful political interests were working behind the scenes to influence the handling of the case.
According to Abdullahi, there were efforts to force Justice Nwite to recuse himself so the matter could allegedly be reassigned to judges perceived to be politically compliant.
He described judicial recusal as a serious legal process that should not be manipulated for political convenience. Abdullahi stated that any attempt to influence the court through pressure or intimidation would amount to interference in the administration of justice.
The ADC further claimed that although the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment had not yet been formally released to the trial court, the case was still scheduled before Justice Nwite for May 8 2026.
The party argued that the speed surrounding the proceedings raised concerns about a possible plan to create grounds for transferring the matter to another judge.
Abdullahi maintained that both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court had earlier directed that the matter should proceed with accelerated hearing before the substantive trial judge.
The opposition party warned that alleged attempts to secure what it called “friendly courts” and “convenient judges” posed a serious threat to constitutional democracy and judicial independence in Nigeria.
ADC called on the National Judicial Council, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and members of the judiciary to safeguard the credibility of the legal process and resist political pressure.
The party also appealed to the international community and diplomatic missions in Nigeria to closely monitor developments surrounding the case.
Drawing lessons from Nigeria’s political history, the ADC warned against a repeat of past judicial controversies that contributed to democratic inility and erosion of public confidence in the judiciary.
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