ADC warns of judicial manipulation in Bala case by agents of government

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused agents of the Federal Government of attempting to manipulate the judiciary in the leadership case involving Nafiu Bala Gombe. The party alleged that Bala’s request to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment of the matter confirms a plot led by a federal minister to influence proceedings.

In a statement issued by ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi, the party condemned the move as an attempt to turn the judiciary into “a shopping mall where you pick and choose judges suitable for your political schemes.”

Abdullahi stressed that no litigant has the right to dictate which judge hears their case, warning that Bala’s bid for indefinite adjournment runs contrary to clear directives from the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court for a speedy trial.

In another statement on May 7, 2026, the ADC warned government agents to “hands off ADC judicial matters,” alleging covert pressure on Hon. Justice Nwite to recuse himself from the case.

The party said it uncovered a disturbing plot to frustrate justice by forcing Justice Nwite aside so the matter could be reassigned to judges perceived as pliable. According to the ADC Legal Team, despite the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment not yet being released, the case was hastily fixed before Justice Nwite for May 8, 2026, in what the party described as a calculated scheme to compel his withdrawal.

The ADC insisted that judicial recusal is not a tool for political convenience, warning that attempts to procure “friendly courts” pose a grave danger to constitutional democracy. The party called on the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and the international community to urgently intervene, stressing that the independence of the judiciary must be protected from political interference and intimidation.