A group which calls itself ADC Registered Members and Stakeholders (ADC–RM & S), of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Thursday, staged a peaceful protest at the precincts of the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding Justice Joyce
Abdulmalik to recuse herself from all cases involving the party and other opposition parties.
ADC–RM & S National President, Anthony Olah who led the protest, appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), to take steps that would preserve trust in the legal process.
Olah demanded that all cases involving the party pending before Justice Abdulmalik should be reassigned to another judge.
“We therefore, call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene urgently by directing Justice Joyce Abdulmalik to recuse herself from ADC and opposition party cases,” he said.
The case involving the party is coming up on Friday, and Olah said the CJN, President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), international community and all lovers of democracy should ask the judge to recuse herself from the case.
The protesters who carried placards with inscriptions: “Judiciary Should Not Destroy Our Democracy; Recuse Yourself, You Are Bias; We Have No Confidence in You,” further urged leaders of the judiciary and the legal profession to take steps they believe would strengthen confidence in the courts.
Fabian Oladimeji who is Deputy National Secretary of the group, said, Justice Abdulmalik’s conduct at proceedings confirms her alleged bias in the matter.
He alleged that the judge was bullying ADC lawyers, and wondered why she should insist on going ahead with the case when the lawyers expressed lack of confidence in her.
Oladimeji said Justice Abdulmalik’s case is not an isolated one, recalling that other judges recuse themselves when a party declared lack of confidence in the matter before them.
“A former president of the Appeal Court recused herself from a matter because a party said, we don’t have trust in you. We have seen Justice Binta Nyako recuse herself when a party says, we don’t want you, we don’t have confidence in you.
“Justice Omotosho was the first judge on this case. He recused himself when a party to this matter said, we don’t trust you. Justice Abdulmalik should tell us why she insisted on going on with this case in spite of the concern of a party.
“We are calling on Justice Tsoho, the Chairman and the President of the Appeal Court to reassign the case to a justice with moderate tendencies,” he demanded.
