PDP Chieftains Petition NJC Against Oyo Judge Over Convention Ruling

Three senior members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), demanding an investigation into Justice A.L. Akintola of the Oyo State High Court for alleged judicial recklessness and abuse of process.

The petitioners — Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna, and Mr. Turnah Alabh George — accused the judge of issuing an ex-parte injunction that contradicted a valid ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The trio are plaintiffs in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, in which the court barred the PDP from holding its planned National Convention on November 15 and 16, 2025.

In their petition titled “Petition Against Honourable Justice A.L. Akintola of the High Court of Oyo State for Judicial Recklessness, Impunity and Violation of Due Process,” the PDP chieftains said the Oyo judge acted beyond his jurisdiction by directing the PDP to proceed with the convention despite the Abuja court’s ruling.

They argued that Justice Akintola’s injunction amounted to sitting on appeal over a Federal High Court judgment, noting that no appeal had been filed against the Abuja ruling delivered by Justice J.K. Omotosho on October 31, 2025. According to them, this action undermined judicial integrity and violated established legal procedures.

The petitioners also questioned the choice of Oyo State as the venue for filing the case and raised concerns over Justice Akintola’s alleged political ties, claiming he previously chaired a tribunal on local government elections under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

They called on the NJC to probe the circumstances surrounding the ex-parte order and sanction the judge if found guilty of misconduct. In an affidavit attached to the petition, Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna affirmed that Justice Akintola’s order effectively overturned a Federal High Court decision without authority, describing it as “a clear abuse of judicial power.”

The petitioners urged the NJC to take swift action to protect the integrity of the judiciary and prevent what they described as “a dangerous precedent of impunity within the judicial system.”