ADC Demands Probe Of Tsoho, Fed High Court Chief Judge, Justice Lifu

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has initiated legal proceedings against the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Honourable Justice John Tsoho and the Honourable Justice Peter Lifu, among others, over alleged gross abuse of judicial powers and bias.

In the motion on notice filed by its National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Division, the ADC is seeking an order of the Court compelling the National Judicial Council, NJC,  to investigate  allegations of bias, judicial abuse, and corruption against the Chief Judge and Justice Lifu, in relation to their handling of a pending case involving the internal affairs and leadership crises bedeviling the Party.

The Source recalls that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court had, on Friday, May 29,2026, reassigned the case filed by the aggrieved former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, Nafiu Bala-Gombe, challenging the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party from Justice Emeka Nwite to Justice Peter Lifu.

The reassignment came against the backdrop of Bala-Gombe’s request for the case to be transferred from Justice Nwite to another Judge.

Justice Nwite had, on May 8, 2026, adjourned proceedings indefinitely following an oral application filed by  Bala-Gombe to the effect that he had petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking the transfer of the ADC leadership tussle case to another Judge.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Lukas Musa Haruna, SAN, had informed the court that although the matter was scheduled to be heard after the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court separately dismissed the interlocutory appeals filed by Mark, he, however, noted that a letter had been written to the Chief Judge on the need to transfer the matter to another Judge.

“He urged the court to halt proceedings pending the response of the Chief Judge to the plaintiff’s demand.

But despite strident opposition from the Mark-led faction, Justice Nwite adjourned proceedings sine die, with the Chief Judge subsequently reassigning the case to Justice Lifu.

However, in a motion on notice marked FCT/ABJ/CS/1165/2026, in which the NJC, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court ,and Justice Lifu are listed as respondents filed on Thursday June 4, 2026, Ukandu, the National Welfare Secretary of the Mark-led ADC,  accused the the Chief Judge, Justice Tsoho of improperly reassigning the case from Nwite to Lifu.

The plaintiff contended that the reassignment is in violation of the Supreme Court order of April 30, 2026, which directed parties to return to Justice Nwite for the continuation of proceedings.

The plaintiff is  also  concerned that the reassignment was  carried out even when Justice Nwite adjourned proceedings pending the resolution of issues surrounding the letter addressed to the Chief Judge by Bala-Gombe.

Ukandu further accused Justice Lifu of bias and judicial abuse following his decision to continue to entertain the case despite protestations and objections sorrounding the reassignment  processes.

The plaintiff is of the view that  justice will not be adequately served and protected in the present circumstances  as going by the groundswell of public allegations leveled against the presiding judicial officers.

Ukandu is, therefore, praying for an order of the Court  declaring it duty-bound for the NJC to carry out an unfettered investigation into the series of allegations and public complaints against the affected judicial officers and to impose appropriate sanctions where necessary.

The plaintiff accordingly is seeking an order of the court compelling Justice Lifu to recuse himself from the case in the overall interest of justice.