The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Honourable Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, over what it describes as a troubling and consistent pattern in the assignment of its cases to only three judges in the Abuja Judicial Division.
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In the petition dated November 19, 2025 and received by the court the following day, the PDP expressed “fear and apprehension” that for several years, all matters filed either by or against the party at the Federal High Court, Abuja, were being assigned exclusively to Justice James Omotosho, Justice Peter Odo Lifu, and Justice Abdulmalik.
Signed by the PDP National Secretary, H.E. Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, the letter noted that the Abuja Division has 12 judges, yet cases involving the party keep returning to the same three courts, giving rise to public suspicion and internal discomfort within the party.
“Several of our party members have recently complained bitterly to the newly elected members of the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee,” the letter stated, adding that the courts presided over by the three judges have become viewed by party stakeholders as ‘courts of particular concern’ due to the politically sensitive nature of PDP-related suits.
The party, while reaffirming its respect for the judiciary and its confidence in the Chief Judge’s leadership, argued that justice must be seen to be done and urged the Chief Judge to ensure that subsequent cases involving the PDP are fairly assigned across all available judges in the Abuja Division.
The PDP warned that with ongoing internal disputes, rising factional tensions, and a series of pre-election legal battles, there is a “high likelihood of cases being filed for or against the party” in the coming months. It stressed that a balanced distribution of such cases is necessary to sustain public confidence in the judiciary.
The petition also referenced recent controversies, including injunctions halting the party’s national convention and multiple leadership disputes, which have heightened scrutiny on how politically sensitive cases are handled by the courts.
Reactions from legal practitioners have been mixed. While some lawyers consider the PDP’s request a legitimate step to prevent perceptions of bias or forum-shopping, others warn that barring judges from hearing specific political matters could escalate tensions between the opposition party and the judiciary. Some also question why the same three judges repeatedly receive PDP-related cases, arguing that the pattern “sends the wrong signal.”
Omotosho, Lifu And AbdulmalikThis petition adds to growing concerns raised by PDP leaders in recent weeks. Only days earlier, some party chieftains had submitted petitions to the National Judicial Council (NJC) over alleged “judicial recklessness” in Oyo State.
The PDP’s letter was endorsed by both the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC). The party urged Justice Tsoho to intervene promptly to ensure equal distribution of judicial responsibilities and preserve trust in the court’s neutrality.
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