OPEN LETTER TO THE CONSCIENCE OF NIGERIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
TO: The National Judicial Council (NJC), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), International Election Observers (EU, AU, Commonwealth), and the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
The Precipice of Autocracy.
Democracy in Nigeria is currently facing a systemic execution by the very hands sworn to protect it. We bring to your urgent attention a piece of digital evidence surfacing less than 48 hours before the Supreme Court of Nigeria commences an accelerated hearing on the leadership crisis of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
The video evidence captures the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, issuing direct marching orders to a factional litigant. The content of this interaction, urging a faction to fight, scatter the party, and win in court, is not merely political banter; it is a clinical demonstration of
Executive Interference and a preemptive strike against the independence of the Apex Court.
The Mechanics of the Interference.
The evidence corroborates a pattern of state-sponsored destabilization of the opposition:
1. State-Funded Factionalism.
The individuals being charged in this video, including Nafiu Bala and his associates, have reportedly been provided with high-level state logistics, including luxury accommodation at the Transcorp Hilton and heavy security details from the DSS and Nigeria Police Force.
2. Contempt of Court & Sub Judice.
For the highest administrative officer in the Presidency to predict or order a win in court while the matter is sub judice is a direct affront to the dignity of the Supreme Court. It sends a chilling message to the Justices: The Executive has already decided the verdict.
3. The INEC Capture Narrative.
This interference explains the unprecedented speed with which INEC has moved to recognize factional leaders before final judicial determinations, suggesting a coordinated chain of command from the Villa to the electoral umpire.
Legal Precedents and the Danger of Departure.
Nigerian jurisprudence has historically guarded against such interference. In the landmark case of Amaechi v. INEC (2008), the Supreme Court held that the court must protect the integrity of the democratic process from arbitrary executive influence.
Furthermore, the principle established in P.D.P v. Sheriff (2017) emphasized that political parties must be allowed to manage their internal affairs without state-sponsored spoilers being used to decapitate the opposition. By encouraging a faction to scatter a party, the Chief of Staff is effectively attempting to reverse these judicial safeguards, turning the Judiciary into a tool for the Judicialization of Politics.
A Call to Action
If the Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday mirrors the directives given in this leaked video, the Nigerian Judiciary will have lost its last vestige of public trust.
We call upon:
The Judiciary.
To resist executive intimidation and rule strictly on the merits of the party’s internal constitution and the Rule of Law.
Civil Society:
To mobilize and document this interference as a case study in Democratic Backsliding.
International Observers.
To recognize that the 2027 electoral cycle is already being compromised through the systemic destruction of viable opposition platforms.
The Media.
To fearlessly broadcast this evidence as a mirror to the Presidency’s true stance on democratic pluralism.
The independence of the Judiciary is not a gift from the Executive; it is a constitutional right of the Nigerian people. We must not allow the Supreme Court to be turned into an extension of the Presidential Villa.
Signed,
A Concerned Citizen for Democratic Sovereignty,
Comrade, Ibrahim Garba Wala (IG Wala).
ANN Politics
