The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has described attempts to blame President Bola Tinubu and the Presidency for the court judgment invalidating the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections as unwarranted and inappropriate.
The party said political sentiments and comments on social media would not change judicial decisions, urging Nigerians to examine the ruling objectively rather than attribute it to an alleged political agenda.
The NNPP also maintained that those who instituted the legal action against the ADC leadership were Nigerians entitled to exercise their constitutional rights, including the right to participate in the 2027 general elections.
The party’s position was contained in a statement issued on Monday by its Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.
Aniebonam said there was a growing tendency in public discussions to assess judicial decisions mainly on the basis of their political implications, rather than the legal arguments and circumstances that informed them.
He argued that a court judgment producing an outcome favourable to one political interest was often celebrated, while a ruling with adverse consequences for another group could trigger allegations of political interference and attacks on the judiciary.
According to him, such reactions undermine public understanding of the judicial process and encourage the spread of unsubstantiated claims.
He said, “There is an unfortunate tendency in our public discourse to judge judicial decisions principally by their political consequences.
“When a judgment favours one political interest, the judge is praised for courage. When it produces an unfavourable outcome, the same judge may suddenly be portrayed as an instrument of an unseen political agenda.
“That is not a sound basis for evaluating the administration of justice.”
The NNPP founder stressed that the political consequences of a judgment did not, in themselves, establish that the decision was politically influenced or procured.
He maintained that the fact that a ruling affected the political ambition of a prominent aspirant such as Atiku did not constitute evidence that the Presidency or any government official had engineered the outcome.
Aniebonam, however, said allegations of executive interference or judicial compromise should not be dismissed if credible evidence existed, adding that such claims must be presented and subjected to appropriate scrutiny.
He warned against elevating political suspicion into established fact simply because influential commentators or political actors repeated such allegations.
“There is a fundamental distinction between questioning the reasoning of a judgment and questioning the integrity of the judicial officer who delivered it. The former is legitimate legal criticism; the latter requires credible evidence,” he stated.
The NNPP’s reaction followed the November 5 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the ADC caretaker committee led by former Senate President, David Mark.
In the judgment, Justice Peter Lifu invalidated the process through which the Mark-led committee assumed control of the party and declared the caretaker arrangement illegal.
The court also nullified decisions taken under the committee’s leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
The emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s National Secretary was also affected by the ruling, alongside the appointments of other national officers and nominations of candidates presented by the party for the forthcoming elections.
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, instituted by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Following the ruling, the NNPP advised the ADC leadership to pursue the available legal options rather than allow political accusations to dominate the discussion.
Aniebonam urged the Mark-led leadership to continue with its legal proceedings up to the Supreme Court or seek appropriate relief, including a stay of execution where legally available, to protect its interests and electoral participation pending the determination of the dispute.
He said the NNPP understood the challenges associated with prolonged leadership disputes, having faced similar legal battles over its own leadership and recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to him, the party did not blame the Presidency during its legal struggles but continued to pursue the matter through the courts until, as he put it, INEC complied with court orders and recognised its genuine leadership.
“The NNPP had been in long-drawn legal battle for years over leadership and never blamed the Presidency. We fought until INEC obeyed court orders and recognised our genuine leadership,” he said.
He further noted that disagreements arising from party leadership contests and primaries were not unusual in Nigeria’s political system, stressing that party leaders had a responsibility to manage internal disputes and prevent them from escalating into prolonged litigation.
Aniebonam said once political disagreements were taken to court, the outcome could favour either side, making it necessary for political actors to approach judicial decisions with an open mind.
“In all political parties, some people will always feel aggrieved after internal primaries. The onus is on leadership to find ways to resolve their internal crisis and, if possible, stop the matter from litigation.
“Once the matter goes to court, it can go either way. We must learn to remain broad-minded on these issues and not always look for the ‘fall guy’,” he added.
The NNPP founder also expressed concern about the manner in which political disputes and court judgments were being reported and discussed in the media, warning against the use of public platforms to circulate inflammatory statements.
He cautioned that irresponsible comments could provoke negative reactions among Nigerians and attract unfavourable attention from the international community.
Aniebonam said repeated attacks on the judiciary whenever a judgment went against a particular political interest could further weaken public confidence in the country’s institutions.
He urged media organisations and commentators to exercise restraint in their coverage of the dispute, while allowing room for constructive criticism of judicial decisions.
“We should try to limit the way we portray the nation, as it has so much affected us globally. Each judgment delivered in Nigeria has those it did not favour calling out the judiciary,” he said.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the NNPP leader appealed to political leaders, public commentators and other influential Nigerians to be more circumspect in their public statements.
He said national unity and peace should take precedence over personal attacks and partisan disagreements, particularly at a time when political tensions were expected to rise.
“It is my hope that all concerned shall be more constructive in their utterances and discussing issues rather than individual attacks,” Aniebonam said.
