The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), raising grave concerns over what it described as the “unusual, repeated and suspicious” assignment of nearly all its internal party cases to a small group of judges.
In a letter dated November 19, 2025 and signed by PDP National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja, the party questioned why matters involving its internal disputes and political processes were almost exclusively assigned to James Kolawole Omotosho, Chijioke Nnamdi Odo-Lifu and Mohammed Abdulmalik, despite the existence of numerous other judges within the FCT judiciary.
The petitioners argued that the pattern had become too frequent to be coincidental, stressing that:
“My Lord, we are compelled to bring to your notice the growing concern within our party that virtually all cases relating to the Peoples Democratic Party are being assigned to only three judges.”
The PDP contended that this recurring practice undermines both the principle and the perception of fair hearing. “This trend offends the principle of fair hearing, raises legitimate suspicion, and creates the perception that judicial outcomes may be pre-arranged,” the letter reads.
The party continued:
“We respectfully insist that the present situation is neither random nor administratively neutral. It has created discomfort among party stakeholders who now believe that there may be an orchestrated attempt to predetermine the fate of PDP matters.”
According to the petition, the cases in question include recent rulings over internal leadership disputes, congress matters, and injunctions sought by rival factions — all reportedly assigned to the same judges.
Calling for corrective reforms, the PDP urged the Chief Judge to order an immediate review of the case-assignment process. The party recommended the adoption of a more transparent, equitable and automated system for assigning political cases — to avoid creating “the dangerous perception of judicial favoritism.”
