The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has asked the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, to stop three judges from adjudicating over matters involving the party. The judges are Justice James Omotosho, Justice Peter Lifu and Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
The request, contained in a letter signed by PDP National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja, cites a “consistent pattern” in the Abuja Division where almost every PDP-related case in recent years had been assigned to the same trio, even though other judges are available.
The PDP’s concern follows a series of recent rulings:
• Justice Omotosho halted the party’s national convention scheduled for November in Ibadan.
• Justice Lifu restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising any convention that excludes former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido as a contestant.
• Justice Abdulmalik stopped the dissolution of the party’s Cross River State executive.
Despite these rulings, the PDP went ahead with its convention in Ibadan, electing Turaki as National Chairman and naming a new National Working Committee. The party also ratified the expulsion of several members, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and former Ekiti governor Ayodele Fayose. It relied on an Oyo State High Court order directing it to proceed with the convention, and on Supreme Court precedents limiting judicial interference in internal party matters.
The development has deepened the conflict between the Turaki faction and the Wike-led faction. The tension erupted into violence at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, which has since been sealed off by security agencies. The Wike camp has now filed a fresh suit seeking to invalidate the convention and reverse its outcomes.
In the petition to Justice Tsoho, the PDP insisted it was not questioning the integrity of the judiciary but raising concerns about public perception. The party said justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, asking that future cases involving the PDP be assigned to other judges.
Responding, Timothy Osadolor of the Wike faction described the petition as “an attempt to influence the judiciary,” arguing that assigning cases lies solely with the Chief Judge. He added that the rulings in question were meant to compel the party to obey its own rules, insisting that Turaki’s leadership lacks legitimacy.
