By Anthony Isibor
THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has raised concerns over what it describes as a troubling pattern in the assignment of its court cases at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division to only three Judges.
In a letter dated November 19, 2025, and received by the office of the Chief Judge on November 20, the party urged the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, to intervene and ensure a more balanced distribution of matters involving the party.
The letter, signed by the PDP National Secretary, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, said that the party had the authorization of its National Chairman, the newly-elected National Working Committee, and the National Executive Committee to convey its growing concerns. It noted that for several years, all cases filed either by the PDP or against it had consistently been assigned to only three judges: Justice James Omotosho, Justice Peter Odo Lifu, and Justice Abdulmalik.
According to the party, this development has persisted despite the availability of nine other judges within the Abuja Judicial Division, which has a total of 12 judges capable of handling such matters.
The PDP said the trend had become a subject of bitter complaints among party members, who now view the affected courts as “courts of particular concern” when it comes to issues touching on the party’s interests.
The party emphasized the importance of justice being seen to be done, stressing that continued concentration of its cases before the same set of judges could affect public perception of fairness.
“It is trite that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done by reasonable members of the society, including the members of our party,” the letter read.
With ongoing internal challenges and the likelihood of more cases involving the party in the near future, the PDP pleaded that no future matters concerning it should be assigned to the three judges named in the letter.
It argued that the trust and integrity upon which justice rests would be better upheld if cases were more equitably distributed among all judges available.
The PDP, however, reaffirmed its confidence in the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and the Federal High Court under Justice Tsoho’s leadership, noting that its fears were limited to the specific issue raised.
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