2027 Election: ADC Accuses Chief Judge of Bias Over Reassignment of Atiku Case

• The ADC Presidential Campaign Council accused Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho of bias after a case was reassigned to Justice Peter Lifu the day after the party formally protested the transfer
• ADC National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola wrote to Justice Tsoho on June 2, 2026, asking him to reverse the reassignment and stating the party had no confidence in Justice Lifu's impartiality
• The ADC called on the National Judicial Council to examine the transfer and demanded the full judgment be released so the party could pursue an appeal

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

FCT, Abuja - The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho of bias over the reassignment of a court case involving Atiku Abubakar's presidential candidacy.

The ADC PCC demanded that the APC confront Atiku at the polls rather than through what it described as judicial manoeuvrings.

Phrank Shaibu, the council's Director of Strategic Communications, said the ADC said the case was removed from Justice Emeka Nwite, who had already begun hearing it, and handed to Justice Peter Lifu — a transfer the party had formally opposed.

Shaibu made this known in a statement issued and made availabe to Legit.ng on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

ADC's formal protest ignored

The party's lawyers responded to the plaintiff's reassignment request on May 11, 2026, disputing the account of who caused the adjournments and describing the application as forum shopping.

On June 2, 2026, ADC National Secretary Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola wrote directly to Justice Tsoho, calling for the reversal of the reassignment and declaring that the party had no confidence in Justice Lifu's impartiality. The case was assigned to Justice Lifu the following day.

The council questioned why Justice Tsoho proceeded despite receiving the formal protest. "Let him publish his reasons," the statement said, adding that Nigerians deserved to read them alongside the letters.

The ADC also called for the immediate release of the full judgment, saying that withholding it was blocking the party's right to challenge it and denying the Court of Appeal a complete record. The party's lawyers have already filed their challenge before the appellate court.

Concerns about Justice Lifu's conduct

The campaign council pointed to a separate suit in which Justice Lifu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other parties, despite a Court of Appeal order staying proceedings. The appellate court later described that decision as the "highest form of judicial impertinence," cited Supreme Court authority on "judicial rascality," and nullified the deregistration judgment.

The statement also referenced a ruling by Justice Musa Liman, who dismissed a challenge to the ADC's leadership for lack of merit and locus standi, declared the leadership handover lawful, and held that INEC was entitled to recognise the party's National Chairman and National Secretary.

The ADC argued that Justice Lifu, sitting in the same Federal High Court, could not simply override those orders, a matter it said was now before the Court of Appeal.

Call on the NJC

The ADC urged the National Judicial Council to examine the transfer, the protest Justice Tsoho received, and Justice Lifu's conduct in the matter.

The statement warned against turning courts into arenas for political combat and drew parallels with judicial decisions that the party said had deepened crises at the end of Nigeria's First and Second Republics.

"Atiku remains our candidate," the statement concluded. "The law is on his side, not sentiment."

ADC raises concerns as court judgment remains unreleased

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that ADC demanded the immediate release of a Federal High Court judgment by Justice Peter Lifu.

The counsel for two ADC defendants paid the assessed fee and filed formal applications for certified copies, but received nothing.

ADC's Director of Strategic Communication Phrank Shaibu said the delay compounds earlier concerns about the judge's impartiality.