The Nigerian Bar Association has warned that it will take disciplinary action against lawyers who institute court cases aimed at drawing the judiciary into internal disputes within political parties.
In a statement released amid the ongoing leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress, the association expressed concern over what it described as a growing trend of legal practitioners and courts becoming entangled in intra-party matters, despite clear provisions of the law.
The NBA stressed that the law explicitly bars courts from entertaining cases relating to the internal affairs of political parties. Quoting Section 83 of the Electoral Act 2026, it said, “No court in Nigeria shall entertain jurisdiction over any suit or matter pertaining to the internal affairs of a political party.”
It further explained that courts are also restricted from issuing interim or interlocutory orders in such matters.
“What we now see are situations where actions are not only instituted in courts by lawyers in clear violation of the Act, but courts purportedly grant interim and/or interlocutory injunctions in clear contempt of statutory provisions of the law. This does not augur well for our democracy,” the statement read.
The NBA warned that such practices could undermine democratic processes.
“This emerging trend of subverting the clear letters of the Electoral Act and dragging courts into the internal affairs of political parties through disingenuous litigation, forum shopping, and malafide applications designed to secure undemocratic political advantage, bodes no good for our democracy,” it stated.
Reiterating its position, the association reminded lawyers of their professional obligations. “Members of the Bar are reminded that they are Ministers in the Temple of Justice and not political agents seeking judicial endorsement of partisan objectives.”
The NBA vowed to take decisive action against erring practitioners, stating that lawyers who deliberately file actions aimed at procuring judicial interference in intra-party affairs risk facing disciplinary proceedings before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
“The Nigerian judiciary must stay vigilant and resist being drawn into political theatrics,” the statement concluded.
