Follow Us on Google
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the involvement of lawyers, Judges and the electoral institutions in the internal affairs of political parties warning that such actions are capable of undermining the nation’s democracy.
This is contained in a statement released yesterday by its President, Maxi Afam Osigwe (SAN), wherein, he expressed deep concern over recent political and legal developments linked to the interpretation and application of the Electoral Act 2026.
Osigwe warned that the NBA would not hesitate to sanction erring practitioners, adding, “Lawyers who deliberately file actions aimed at procuring judicial interference in intra-party affairs, or who seek ex-parte or interlocutory orders in clear violation of statutory provisions, risk facing disciplinary proceedings.”
He disclosed that the association would take such cases before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to serve as a deterrent and preserve the sanctity of the judicial process.
“Lawyers must remain officers of the court, not architects of procedural manipulation. Nigeria’s democracy must not be weakened by legal maneuvering, institutional capture, or the misuse of judicial authority,” he said.
The NBA also called on the judiciary to exercise restraint and resist being drawn into politically motivated disputes.
“The Nigerian judiciary must stay vigilant and resist being drawn into political theatrics,” Osigwe said, urging judges to strictly adhere to statutory limits on their jurisdiction.
He further called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to introduce regulations that would sanction judges who assume jurisdiction in matters expressly barred by law or grant orders that violate statutory provisions.
“The NBA will not shy away from drawing the NJC’s attention to the actions of any judicial officer found to have acted in a manner inconsistent with the judicial oath,” he added.
Other News
On the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), NBA urged the electoral body to exercise its supervisory powers with neutrality and independence.
Osigwe noted that the Commission must not be perceived as engaging in political engineering or weakening political pluralism.
“The Commission must not, under any circumstances, be perceived as a participant in political engineering,” he said.
The Commission must not, under any circumstances, be perceived as a participant in political engineering,” he said.
He added that the INEC Chairman, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is well-positioned to uphold constitutional principles and ensure that the Commission’s actions strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
“Our laws and democracy must be protected at all times,” Osigwe declared, stressing that the integrity of Nigeria’s legal and electoral systems must not be compromised by what he described as “disingenuous litigation and judicial overreach.”
The NBA particularly faulted what it called the “disturbing involvement” of lawyers and courts in intra-party disputes, despite explicit provisions in Section 83 of the Electoral Act 2026 barring such actions.
Quoting the law, Osigwe stated, “No court in Nigeria shall entertain jurisdiction over any suit or matter pertaining to the internal affairs of a political party.” He further emphasized that the Act also prohibits courts from granting interim or interlocutory injunctions in such cases.
Not only are courts denied jurisdiction to entertain any matter pertaining to the internal affairs of a political party, but they are also precluded from granting any interim or interlocutory injunction,” he said, warning that any deviation from this provision amounts to a direct violation of statutory law.
What we now see are situations where actions are not only instituted in courts by lawyers in clear violation of the Act, but courts purportedly grant interim and/or interlocutory injunctions in clear contempt of statutory provisions of the law. This does not augur well for our democracy,” Osigwe said.
