Tension mounted at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday as supporters and registered members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) staged a peaceful protest demanding that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik step down from handling cases involving the party and other opposition groups.
Operating under the banner of ADC Registered Members and Stakeholders (ADC–RM & S), the protesters also petitioned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Supreme Court of Nigeria leadership, urging the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene and reassign the case to another judge to preserve public confidence in the judicial process.
The protest took place ahead of a scheduled hearing of an ADC-related matter before Justice Abdulmalik.
Addressing journalists during the protest, National President of ADC–RM & S, Anthony Olah, called on the leadership of the judiciary to take urgent steps to protect the integrity of the court process.
“We call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to direct Justice Joyce Abdulmalik to recuse herself from ADC and other opposition party cases in order to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy from what we see as judicial manipulation,” Olah said.
The protesters also appealed to Nigerians, the international community, and advocates of democratic values to demand fairness in the judicial process as the ADC case comes up again in court.
During the demonstration, participants carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Judiciary Should Not Destroy Our Democracy,” “Recuse Yourself, We Have No Confidence in You,” among others.
Also speaking, Deputy National Secretary of the ADC, Oladimeji Fabian, alleged that the conduct of proceedings had raised concerns among party members about the fairness of the case.
He cited past instances where judges stepped aside from cases after parties raised concerns over impartiality, including former President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa, and Binta Nyako, who both recused themselves from matters to preserve public confidence in the judiciary.
Fabian also referenced an earlier development in the case when Justice Emeka Nwite Omotosho reportedly stepped down after concerns were raised by a party involved in the proceedings.
The demonstrators maintained that their protest was peaceful and aimed solely at drawing attention to what they described as the need for transparency and fairness in judicial proceedings involving political parties.
They further appealed to security agencies to maintain order around the court premises ahead of the next hearing while urging judicial authorities to address their concerns in order to strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
ADC Supporters Besiege Abuja Court, Demand Judge’s Recusal Over Alleged Bias
