Judiciary
…says verdict defies logic, raises fresh questions about judicial consistency
THE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expresses profound disappointment and grave concern over the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissing the suit instituted by eminent members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the recognition of the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee.
With the greatest respect to the learned trial judge, HURIWA considers the judgment manifestly erroneous, legally unsustainable, internally contradictory and a troubling departure from established judicial reasoning. The decision deserves urgent scrutiny by the Court of Appeal in the interest of justice and the integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system.
What makes the judgment particularly disturbing is that the court appeared to ignore or discount the implications of the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal, which questioned the legal foundation of the March 29, 2026 convention by holding that the purported National Legal Adviser, A.K. Ajibade, SAN, lacked the legal authority to issue the instructions upon which the convention was predicated after his tenure had expired in December 2025.
If the legal foundation upon which that convention rested had already been fundamentally undermined by the Court of Appeal, how then could another court rely on the same convention as the basis for validating the leadership produced therefrom? Such contradictory judicial outcomes create uncertainty, undermine confidence in the administration of justice and leave Nigerians wondering whether the same law is being interpreted differently depending on the parties before the court.
HURIWA is equally unable to reconcile the trial court’s reasoning that the Board of Trustees lacked the legal standing to institute the action. The PDP Board of Trustees is not an ad hoc creation of any faction. It is a constitutionally recognised and permanent organ of the party that predates the current leadership crisis by many years. To suggest that such a body lacks the locus to approach a court on issues affecting the constitutional integrity of the party raises profound legal and constitutional questions that deserve appellate intervention.
The association also finds it difficult to understand why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which ought to maintain strict neutrality in political disputes, vigorously opposed the suit instead of allowing the court to determine the issues on their merits. Electoral management bodies must never create the impression—rightly or wrongly—that they have aligned themselves with one faction in an internal political dispute. Public confidence in INEC depends on its visible impartiality.
This judgment has unfortunately reinforced growing public anxieties about inconsistency in judicial decisions involving politically sensitive cases. Whether justified or not, such perceptions continue to erode public confidence in the Judiciary. The Judiciary owes Nigerians a solemn duty not only to dispense justice but to ensure that justice is manifestly seen to have been done.
HURIWA therefore calls on the Court of Appeal to hear the inevitable appeal with utmost urgency, absolute fidelity to the Constitution, and complete independence from political pressures, public sentiments or executive influence. The appellate court must seize this opportunity to clarify the law, reconcile conflicting judicial pronouncements and restore public confidence in the impartiality of the courts.
The association warns that the Judiciary remains the last hope of the common man. Every judgment that appears inconsistent with established legal principles weakens public faith in democratic institutions. Conversely, every courageous and principled decision strengthens constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
HURIWA reiterates that Nigeria’s democracy cannot flourish where political disputes are resolved through conflicting judicial interpretations that leave citizens more confused than enlightened. The rule of law must never become a casualty of political expediency.
History will remember not those who wield political power, but those judicial officers who stood firmly on the side of the Constitution, justice and truth, irrespective of whose interests were affected.
A.I
July 20, 2026
Tags: HURIWA PDP