Coalition Seeks Judicial Reform Over Bias Ruling In High Court

A coalition of political and civil society groups, Joint Action for Democracy (JAD), has sounded the alarm on what it describes as a crisis of integrity within the Nigerian judiciary.

In a press conference oyesterday in Abuja, the group leveled serious accusations of partisan activities against certain judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja, calling for immediate and decisive action from the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The coalition comprised of lawyers, civil society organisations (CSOs), political parties, and ethnic leaders.
National coordinator, Peter Ameh, speaking on behalf of JAD, drew sobering parallels to historical instances where judicial decisions had far-reaching political ramifications.

He reminded the audience of the 1993 court order that led to the nullification of that year’s presidential election, emphasising the potential long-term consequences of allowing such practices to continue unchecked.

He said citizens have complained about the activities of some judges of the Federal High Court, Abuja, adding that these judges have allegedly been involved in partisan activities while on the bench.

“They have been known to use their discretion to issue Exparte Orders in place of court judgments. Their activities have come to our attention, and it is high time they are stopped,” he noted.

The coalition warned that if left unaddressed, these issues could undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s entire democratic process.
The coalition is demanding the suspension of several high-profile judicial figures.

The group did not stop at calling for the suspension of the alleged corrupt judges it is also pushing for a comprehensive forensic audit pointing to inconsistent rulings and the issuance of questionable ex parte orders that it claimed have undermined the integrity of the court.