A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Sani, has accused the judiciary of compromising its independence and allowing political influence to shape its decisions.
Sani warned that those responsible for undermining the judiciary would face the consequences of their actions after President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, leave the political stage.
He made the remarks in a post on his X handle on Friday while criticising what he described as the growing influence of the executive over the judiciary.
In a lengthy post titled “A Conscienceless Judiciary,” Sani alleged that the current civilian administration had created a situation in which the executive increasingly influenced judicial outcomes, thereby weakening the principle of separation of powers.
He specifically accused Wike of exerting considerable influence over sections of the judiciary, alleging that some judges had become excessively deferential to the minister.
Sani also questioned some recent judicial decisions, particularly those delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, describing them as questionable and inconsistent with established facts and applicable laws.
He further alleged that the judiciary had become reluctant to entertain cases on their merits where the outcomes might run contrary to Wike’s interests.
According to him, the situation has deepened public suspicion of judicial compromise and weakened confidence in the courts as impartial arbiters of disputes.
The PDP chieftain also listed prominent political figures, including Hope Uzodimma, Seyi Makinde, David Mark, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Goodluck Jonathan, as individuals who, in his view, had experienced what he described as judicial humiliation and electoral setbacks.
He recalled the public support enjoyed by the judiciary when former President Muhammadu Buhari directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate some judges, noting that Nigerians had defended judicial independence against what they perceived as executive intimidation.
However, he lamented that public confidence in the institution had since been eroded by judicial decisions that many Nigerians considered questionable.
Sani warned that those who had allegedly contributed to the erosion of judicial independence would eventually be held accountable.
“A day of reckoning will come after Tinubu and Wike have left the political stage. Those responsible for presiding over the destruction of judicial independence and the institutionalisation of a compromised judiciary will eventually have to confront the consequences of their actions,” he said.
He added that history would not be kind to those who had allegedly turned the judiciary into an instrument of political convenience.