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…call for sanction

Three Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna and Mr Turnah Alabh George, have petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), requesting the immediate investigation and punishment of Justice A.L. Akintola of the Oyo State High Court for alleged abuse of judicial process.

The trios are plaintiffs in the Abuja Federal High Court Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, judgment on which stopped the planned November 15 and 16, 2025 National Elective Convention of the PDP.

The petition was titled; Petition against Honourable Justice A.L Akintola of the Hugh Court of Oyo State for His Lordship’s Judicial Act of Recklessness, Impunity and Flagrant Violation of the Known and Very Well Established Due Process of Law.”

It reads; “This Petition is against Justice A.L. Akintola of the High Court of Oyo State which in our opinion amounts to an act of judicial indiscretion and abuse of Office.

“The said Judge had gone ahead to issue an Ex-Parte Injunction mandating the Peoples Democratic Party to go ahead with its Convention earlier slated for 15th and 16th November 2025 despite the fact that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had delivered a Judgment forbidding the holding of the said Convention in Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025 Between Hon Austine Nwachukwu & 2 Others and INEC & 8 Others.

“The Injunction issued by Justice Akintola amounts to sitting on appeal against the Judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in the above mentioned Suit. Copy
of the Judgment of the Federal High Court with specific attention to pages 88 – 93 where the Federal High Court specifically ruled and ordered as per Reliefs Number 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 respectively to the effect that the PDP is not entitled to hold convene or conduct its national convention scheduled for the 15th and 16th days of November, 2025 is hereby attached.

“For the purpose of introduction, we were the Plaintiffs in the said Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/2 120/2025 which culminated into a Court Judgment delivered in our favour on 31st October 2025. The said Judgment forbade and restrained the Peoples’ Democratic party from proceeding with its planned National Convention slated for 15th and 16th November 2025 due to the failure of the PDP to fulfill certain mandatory requirements which are conditions prrecedent to the holding of the said Convention.

“Your lordship, the choice of Ibadan, Oyo State and in particular, the choice of Justice A.L. Akintola’s Court for the hearing of a fresh Suit and the grant of an Ex-Parte Injunction against the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC), Peoples Democratic Party and its National Officers whose Headquarters are in Abuja raises serious Suspicions and calls for deep scrutiny considering the fact that it was the same Justice A.L. Akintola that was chosen to head the Local Government Elections Tribunal to hear Petitions arising from the Local Government Elections conducted by Governor Makinde’s administration in Oyo State.

“Even a non-Lawyer knows that a State High Court lacks the authority to function as an appellate Court over a decision of the Federal High Court. Therefore, the Ex-Parte Order made by Justice A.L. Akintola despite the conclusive determination of a similar Suit at the Federal High Court with finality undermines and further casts aspersions on the Judicial Reforms being championed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria. By Justice A.L. Akintola’s Ex-Parte Order, his lordship had thus appointed and constituted himself into an appellate Court and had sat on appeal over the judgment of the
Federal High Court and varied same via an Ex-Parte Order.

“His lordship cannot feign ignorance of the judgment of the Federal High Court on the same subject matter because Justice Omotosho’s judgment was not only widely televised on many National Media Houses like NTA, TVC, Arise News, Channels Television and others but also circulated and reported on many National Dailies like Daily Trust Newspaper, The Nation as well as other online News Media.

“In the light of the foregoing, we hereby appeal to your Lordship to cause a probe of the circumstances leading to the unwarranted grant of an Ex-Parte Order by lustice A.L. Akintola of the High Court of Oyo State and to ensure that the learned Judge faces punishment if found wanting. Doing this will ensure that the Judicial space is sanitized and made uncomfortable for Judges who lend themselves as willing tools in the compromise of the ethos upon which Judicial authority rests.”

In an affidavit deposed to by one of the petitioners, Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna, he stated as follows; “I am the PDP Chaiman of Abia State by the virtue of which I am very well conversant with this case.

“I am one of the Plaintiffs in Suit No: FHC/CS/2120/2025 in which Hon. Justicc J.K. Omotosho delivercd judgment on the 31st day of October, 2025 against INEC, PDP and the National Executives of PDP sued as 3rd to 9th Defendants.

“I know that from the CTC of the judgment that INEC and PDP were clearly directed not to proceed with the National Convention of the PDP slated for l5th and 16th of November, 2025 until certain conditions are met.

“I know as a fact that none of the Defendants have appealed against the said judgment delivered on the 31st day of October, 2025.

“To our dismay, as Plaintiffs in the said judgment, Hon. A.L. Akintola of the High Court of Justice of Oyo State constituted himself into the Court of Appeal of Nigeria and set aside the said judgment of the Court on the 3rd of November,
2025.

“I hereby verify that the entire facts stated in our petition are nothing but the truth of the situation and circumstances of the judgment of the Federal High Court and the Exparte Order delivered by Hon Justice A.L. Akintola which automatically set aside the Order of the Federal High Court.”