Alleged bias: Court orders ADC chieftain to pay Federal High Court CJ, Justice Lifu N100m
By Olawale Abideen/ABUJA// The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, ordered the National Welfare Secretary of African Democratic Party (ADC), Mr. Nkemakolam Ukandu to pay the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, and Justice Peter Lifu the sum of N50 million each.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a ruling on an oral application made by Mr J. U. K. Igwe, SAN, counsel for Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu, ordered that the total sum of N100 million shall be paid within 14 days of the order.
Justice Ibrahim earlier stuck out Ukandu’s case which was filed against the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu respectively for lack of diligent prosecution.
Ukandu had sued the NJC, the Federal High Court Chief Judge and Justice Lifu as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, over alleged bias and disobedience to court order.
Ukandu, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1165/2026, sought an order compelling the NJC to investigate allegations of corruption, abuse of judicial powers and bias levelled against Tsoho and Lifu.
It would be recalled that, neither the plaintiff nor his lawyer had appeared before the trial judge, Justice Ibrahim since the matter was assigned to the judge.
The judge had, on June 30, threatened to dismiss the suit for failure of the plaintiff or his lawyer to appear in court for the proceedings.
The suit stemmed from the ADC leadership crisis involving an aggrieved member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, whose case is currently before Justice Lifu.
Gombe’s suit seeks an order stopping Sen. David Mark-led leadership of ADC from parading themselves as leaders of the party.
Ukandu, who is seeking to be joined in the suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, brought by Gombe, accused the Chief Judge and Justice Lifu of manifest bias, and willingness to do the biddings of persons against the interest of the party.
The plaintiff, in the suit he personally filed at the Federal High Court, faulted the CJ for reassigning the suit to Lifu after it was taken away from Justice Emeka Nwite, saying that, the reassignment was in disregard to the orders of the Supreme Court as well as Justice Nwite.
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