A former member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje, has described the Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, as further evidence of what he called the declining independence of Nigeria’s judiciary.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party from the register of political parties for allegedly failing to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in previous elections.
The court also barred the affected parties from participating in future elections, including the 2027 general elections.
The judgment followed a suit instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Reacting during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee of the Social Democratic Party, Usman Bugaje, said the ruling reflected a worrying trend in the nation’s judicial system.
“I think it is a tragedy. It is a tragedy because we have been writing and complaining in this increasing manner in which the judiciary is losing its independence and becoming a pawn in the game or becoming a tool of the executive,” Bugaje said.
The former lawmaker expressed concern over what he described as frequent judicial interventions in the affairs of political parties, warning that such actions undermine internal party democracy and public confidence in democratic institutions.
“Because this is not the first time the court in the last few months since the emergence of some of these parties have been used to disrupt and to tamper with internal democracy of political parties,” he said.
Bugaje also questioned the legitimacy of the legal action that resulted in the deregistration order, arguing that it appeared to conflict with previous appellate court decisions.
“If this judiciary was functioning, you cannot, when there is already an existing ruling, again come up with some innocuous group, God knows who they are, some former members of parliament. What is their business, really? Are they members of ADC? And how can a court, a lower court for that matter, ignore a substantive ruling of a Court of Appeal?” he asked.
According to him, the development raises concerns about the credibility of the judiciary and the broader democratic process in the country.
Bugaje further alleged that the executive arm of government was exerting undue influence over institutions expected to operate independently.
“We have a situation in Nigeria where the executive arm of government, this particular government of APC, is interfering with the judiciary and also interfering with the independent parliament,” he alleged.
The SDP chieftain also cited controversies surrounding legislative oversight and electoral administration as examples of what he described as institutional interference.
Referring to previous court cases involving political parties and INEC, he maintained that the electoral body had, on several occasions, exceeded its constitutional powers.
“Look at the case of the SDP. They went to court and the Supreme Court directed that INEC should stop interfering with political parties,” he said.
He added, “When you look back at the INEC timetable case, one of the Federal High Courts informed INEC in a judgment that INEC was stepping out of bounds. INEC now appealed and this is not the kind of case where you appeal because this is like a clarification of the law for you.”
Bugaje warned that continued interference in the affairs of political parties and democratic institutions could weaken opposition politics and threaten Nigeria’s democratic future.
“So we are in a very tragic position where the executive has dominated and brought over the parliament. It has also become infiltrated and is now basically determining the kind of court orders that we get,” he said.
