By Peace Udugba
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and lead counsel to the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunmbi, has urged the Federal Government to exercise restraint in its pursuit of political power, insisting that respect for the rule of law remains fundamental to Nigeria’s democratic stability.
Adetunmbi made the call on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State. He cautioned that excessive political desperation could weaken democratic institutions and undermine governance if not checked.
“First and foremost, the current federal government should please not be too desperate about power. They should allow the rule of law to prevail,” he said.
His remarks come days after Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and three other political parties over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements.
However, the Court of Appeal on Tuesday halted the enforcement of the judgment, granting a stay of execution on the Federal High Court ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu.
According to Adetunmbi, the Accord Party is determined to defend its position through lawful means.
“You could remember yesterday that I told you that the Accord Party would do everything within the ambit of the law to ensure that we are able to defend our rights. We were in court yesterday; arguments were taken for and against, and at the end of the day, their lordships ruled that the enforcement of that judgment be stalled till 25th of June this year. So, we are going back on 25th of June to take the main appeal,” he said.
On the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the dispute, Adetunmbi dismissed suggestions of institutional bias, saying the commission was acting within its legal mandate rather than aligning with any political party.
“I will not say INEC is throwing its weight behind our party. INEC is throwing its weight behind the justice of the matter. It’s not throwing its weight behind our party,” he clarified.
He added that INEC’s constitutional powers in the regulation of political parties should not be misinterpreted or politicised.
“The truth of the matter is that the power to deregister any political party belongs to INEC. But this matter is sub judice, and when it is sub judice, you don’t have the liberty to analyse certain issues,” he said.
The SAN further described Nigeria’s legal system as largely functional but warned against using isolated incidents to generalise institutional failure. He noted that while the judiciary is populated largely by “honest jurists,” a few bad eggs exist, as in any society.
“In the judiciary, we have so many honest jurists at all levels—the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. But just like in every society, we have bad eggs,” he said.
Adetunmbi also expressed concern over the increasing number of political cases in courts, arguing that they are clogging the justice system and delaying criminal and civil trials involving ordinary citizens.
“Prisoners are there. People accused, either rightly or wrongly, are in detention when their cases have not been concluded. Precious judicial time that should be spent on such cases is now being spent on political cases,” he said.
He called for a holistic review of Nigeria’s justice administration to improve efficiency and ensure better prioritisation of cases.
Responding to concerns about judicial independence, Adetunmbi said perceived inconsistencies in judgments should not automatically be interpreted as deliberate disobedience of superior court rulings.
“Even in most cases, judges are accused of not following precedent, not that they deliberately disobey court orders,” he said.
He also highlighted infrastructural and administrative challenges within the judiciary, noting that many courts still operate with poor facilities.
“Some courtrooms are not something to write home about,” he lamented.
The SAN further noted that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has mechanisms for monitoring and disciplining judicial officers through petitions and oversight processes, stressing that due process must always be observed in addressing complaints.
