The Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, threatened to dismiss a suit filed against the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), John Tsoho, and Justice Peter Lifu over alleged bias and disobedience to a court order.

This came as hundreds of African Democratic Congress (ADC) youths staged a protest in Abuja, demanding the removal of Lifu over what they described as his “highly controversial ruling” ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties.

Justice Salim Ibrahim gave the warning following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Nkemakolam Ukandu, a chieftain of ADC, and his lawyer when the matter came up for mention.

The judge said the suit could be dismissed for want of diligent prosecution “if there is no representation” for the plaintiff at the next adjourned date.

Ukandu, the National Welfare Secretary of ADC, had sued the National Judicial Council (NJC), Tsoho, and Lifu, as the first to third defendants, respectively, over allegations bordering on corruption, abuse of judicial powers, and bias.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1165/2026, Ukandu is seeking an order compelling the NJC to investigate the allegations levelled against the two judicial officers.

When the matter was called yesterday, only counsel for Tsoho and Lifu was present in court, while neither the plaintiff nor the NJC was represented.

Ukandu, who is seeking to be joined in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, had accused the Chief Judge and Lifu of manifest bias and acting in favour of certain interests against the party.

He faulted the reassignment of the case to Lifu after it was withdrawn from Justice Emeka Nwite, alleging that the action was contrary to the orders of the Supreme Court and Nwite.
THE ADC protesters, led by the National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, marched from the ADC national secretariat in Wuse II to the Federal High Court in Maitama, chanting, “Justice Lifu must go.”

They carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Judiciary is not for sale”, “Judiciary is our last hope”, “Don’t force Nigerians into chaos”, “Save our democracy now” and “No to one-party state” among others.

The demonstrators vowed to sustain the protest until Lifu is removed from office, insisting that the ADC must participate in the 2027 general elections.

Many of the protesters also chanted “No ADC, no election” as they accused the judiciary of attempting to undermine Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.

Addressing journalists during the protest, Rufai called on former Presidents and Heads of State, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida and Goodluck Jonathan, to intervene in what he described as attempts to weaken the opposition and entrench a one-party state.

According to him, the direction the judiciary was taking under judges such as Lifu could erode public confidence in the courts.