Judul : Courts Should Stay Out of Party Politics
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Courts Should Stay Out of Party Politics
The leading opposition political party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently conducted its National Convention in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on Saturday and Sunday, November 15-16, 2025. However, the events leading up to the convention were characterized by a large number of legal challenges both supporting and opposing the proceedings.
The disputes arose from prolonged internal power battles and significant divisions, which led different groups to turn to the courts, each with opposing goals of either halting or supporting the process.
The initial court decision occurred on October 31, 2025, delivered by Judge James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. He ruled against holding the convention following a lawsuit submitted by certain dissatisfied party members. The claim was that congresses had not taken place in multiple states, which, according to the party's constitution, should have preceded the convention. The presiding judge, James Omotosho, mandated a halt to the convention until the party adheres to its own constitutional requirements.
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A separate decision was made by an Ibadan High Court led by Justice L. A. Akintola, in response to an ex parte application submitted by Folarin Adelabu, asking the court to mandate the holding of the convention. Justice Akintola issued the ex parte order, which ultimately led to the convention taking place and new national leaders being chosen. Adelabu's application referred to a prior Supreme Court directive that limited courts from handling issues related to leadership and party membership, as these were considered internal affairs of the political parties involved.
On November 14, 2025, Judge Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja made a ruling in a case initiated by Sule Lamido, the former governor of Jigawa State, who challenged the party's refusal to provide him with a nomination form for the position of National Chairman. The presiding judge decided in favor of Lamido, stating that the PDP had an obligation under its constitution to grant him the opportunity to run as a candidate for the position he sought.
The Daily Trust is concerned that the judiciary is being involved in settling issues that are internal matters of political parties, more than two decades after the restoration of democracy.
The scenario is still more alarming considering that the Supreme Court of Nigeria previously rejected judicial involvement in the internal matters of political parties, and therefore should not be considered by courts.
For example, the Supreme Court addressed in a 2021 decision the validity of Governor Mai Mala Buni's actions as the APC's leader in nominating Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, as questioned by Eyitayo Jegede from the PDP.
Jegede argued that the signing of Akeredolu's nomination certificate (Exhibit P21) by the APC's caretaker committee, headed by Governor Buni of Yobe State, was invalid under Section 183 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 and Article 17(iv) of the APC Constitution.
In a majority ruling, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim stated that the case could not be resolved without including Buni as a party to the proceedings.
He further stated: 'These are not matters that can be addressed by the courts. Courts do not have authority over the internal affairs of a political party unless a law specifically grants them the power to handle such matters.' There are numerous other instances.
Nevertheless, instead of adhering to the Supreme Court's decision, the country's political environment is filled with varied understandings of the judgment, with each party manipulating the wording of the ruling to fit its own agenda. This is precisely what occurred in the recent cases concerning the PDP's convention.
Observed within the context, the scenario indicates the country's decline into the management of political party affairs—not through internal democracy and agreement within the parties, but through statements from the high court benches, which are typically detached from the inner operations of the respective parties. In a similar manner, this situation is returning the country to an era where the processes of internal democracy would cease to be significant, and the Nigerian democratic initiative would face a slow and painful demise.
This is why the nation's judiciary—particularly the National Judicial Council (NJC)—must become aware of its legal duty to uphold integrity in the delivery of justice within Nigeria's political environment, and must confront these irregular practices, where courts openly ignore the Supreme Court's definitive rulings and engage in independent judicial actions.
Daily Trust further holds that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should encourage its members to follow the decision of the highest court regarding unnecessary involvement in the internal matters of political parties, in order to reduce the occurrence of conflicting rulings by the courts.
In the meantime, it is also crucial for politicians to fully utilize the existing internal administrative procedures and processes outlined in their party's constitution, along with applicable guidelines, before bringing issues to court, where they tend to air their grievances publicly.
The effectiveness of any democratic system largely relies on the capacity of political leaders to seek shared solutions for the benefit of the nation. It is clear that since the restoration of democracy in 1999, Nigerian politicians have focused more on what they can personally gain from politics and are constantly willing to take extreme measures to achieve their self-serving goals.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).Demikianlah Artikel Courts Should Stay Out of Party Politics
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