The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified its push for a shake-up within the Federal High Court, Abuja, following its formal demand that Justices James Omotosho, Peter Lifu and Mohammed Abdulmalik be excused from all present and future matters involving the party. The call, made in a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has already sent ripples through the judiciary, prompting at least one judge linked to the controversy to reportedly withdraw from PDP-related cases.
In the petition dated 19 November and signed by the party’s National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja, the PDP voiced strong reservations over what it described as the persistent and inexplicable allocation of its cases to a narrow trio of judges, despite the Abuja Division having twelve judges on its roster. The party insisted that the pattern had eroded confidence among its members and raised troubling questions over neutrality.
The letter cited a series of rulings—ranging from the suspension of the party’s national convention to directives reshaping its internal nomination processes—as decisions that magnified its concerns. These judgments, though delivered within the bounds of judicial discretion, had contributed to factional tensions and sharpened divisions within the party’s leadership.
Judicial insiders disclosed that the growing public scrutiny triggered by the petition compelled at least one of the judges to step back from handling PDP matters, seeking to avoid casting further shadows over the court’s integrity. Though a full resignation from the bench did not occur, the retreat marks a significant moment, underscoring the sensitivity of the issues raised.
