Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has strongly criticized Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, accusing him of functioning as an anti-democratic element within the judiciary. In a statement released on Friday, Eze claimed that the judge is secretly working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to suppress opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Eze, Justice Lifu and similar judicial officers are being manipulated by desperate politicians who view themselves as untouchable and aim to influence court rulings against any perceived threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. He argued that these actions are not based on conjecture but are blatant attempts to eliminate competition.
Eze pointed out that Justice Lifu would never dare to issue a reprimand against figures like Nyesom Wike, highlighting a double standard in the judge’s conduct. He accused Justice Lifu of making a mockery of his position by becoming a cheap instrument for his benefactors, who are determined to decimate the opposition. Eze questioned whether the judge must carry out such duties for the APC at the expense of the judiciary’s integrity.
The ADC chieftain further alleged that Justice Lifu demonstrated excessive eagerness by willfully ignoring an Appeal Court order that instructed him to halt proceedings in a case seeking the deregistration of several political parties. Eze asserted that Nigeria’s judiciary has been compromised ever since the previous administration, led by Muhammadu Buhari, attacked and prosecuted Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen and other Supreme Court justices. Since then, some judges, including Justice Lifu, have abandoned their apolitical stance out of fear and have embraced alliances with civilian despots and corrupt politicians.
Despite these criticisms, Eze acknowledged that there are still courageous and patriotic judicial officers who deliver justice based on law, without bias or fear. He lambasted Justice Lifu for disregarding established judicial precedents in order to fulfill the objectives of what he termed drowning political misfits who are terrified of opposition due to their poor governance record.
Eze, who previously served as National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), commended the Appeal Court and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for condemning what he described as Justice Lifu’s judicial rascality. He noted that the ultimate aim of these maneuvers is to prevent the ADC’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, from contesting in the 2027 elections, but he expressed confidence that Nigerians would thwart such plans and oust the APC from power.
He remarked that the fear of a potential Atiku-Amaechi ticket has motivated President Tinubu’s actions. Eze thanked the Appeal Court for staying the controversial deregistration judgment and praised INEC for challenging it. He concluded by calling on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate and discipline Justice Lifu for issuing an order that further damages public perception of the judiciary and subverts the rule of law.