The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has claimed that “desperate forces within the corridors of power” are pressuring Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja to recuse himself from the court case involving factional Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe.

In a statement yesterday, the opposition alleged that the plot was aimed at compelling Justice Nwite to withdraw from the case so it could be reassigned to a judge who would do the bidding of those in power.

It said: “This sinister plot, if allowed to stand, represents a direct assault on the integrity of the judiciary and a dangerous escalation in the ongoing attempts to weaponise state institutions against the opposition.”

The ADC said its legal team learnt that although the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment had not yet been released or formally communicated to the trial court, the matter was nevertheless fixed before Justice Nwite for hearing today.

It said: “We have credible reasons to believe that this unusual haste is part of a calculated scheme to force Justice Nwite into recusing himself, thereby creating an opening for the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the matter to judges allegedly considered more amenable to political influence.

“This development runs contrary to both the spirit and letter of the directives earlier issued by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which ordered an accelerated hearing of the matter by the substantive trial judge.”

According to the ADC, judicial recusal should not be used as a political tool, stressing that such decisions must be guided strictly by legal principles and due process. The party warned that the alleged search for “friendly courts” and “convenient judges” posed a serious threat to constitutional democracy and judicial independence in Nigeria.