Politics
Bode George Decries Alleged Conflicting Verdicts From Tribunals
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, and elders of the Lagos State chapter of the party on Monday expressed worries about the conflicting and contradictory judgments coming from the country’s judiciary, saying “What is oozing from the third arm of government in the world’s most populous black nation is offensive to millions of Nigerians.”
This was just as they warned against looming anarchy when Nigerians no longer trust the judiciary, pointing out that in many political cases, millions of Nigerians now hold the belief “and rightly so, that some judges deliver Judgments, not Justice.”
Chief George said this while addressing newsmen at his Ikoyi Office, shortly after a closed-door parley with other elders, including former Lagos State deputy governor, Senator (Mrs) Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele; Mrs Onikepo Oshodi, Dr Charles Akitoye, Dr Amos Fawole, Dr Seye O’Dairo, Hon Abiola Ismail, Mr Agbolarin Adegboyega, Hon. Malomo Adelabi, among others.
George, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yoruba land, while reading the statement jointly signed by the elders titled: “When Nigerians no longer trust third estate of the realm, anarchy looms,” pointedly declared that these were not the best of times for the Judiciary in Nigeria, recalling that this was unlike in the past.
According to him, eminent Nigerians knew the judicial and justice system in the country during the days of former Chief Justices of Nigeria, such as Justice Stafford Foster Sutton (1955 – 1958), Justice Adetokunbo Ademola (1958 – 1972), Justice Teslim Olawale Elias (1972 – 1975), Justice Darnley Arthur Alexander (1975 – 1979), Justice Atanda Fatai Williams (1979 – 1983), Justice Gabriel Ayo Irikefe (1985 – 1987) and Justice Muhammed Bello (1987 – 1995), the first Northerner to become Chief Justice of Nigeria, among others.
He said these were legal giants who stood their grounds against any form of victimisation or unnecessary manoeuvre from the executive branch of government, adding: “You dared not look at their faces or even try to bribe them.
“So, the questions being asked today are, among others: ‘What exactly is the problem of the judiciary? Where did we get it wrong? Why is it difficult for the judiciary to assert its control over politicians and political parties? Why are technicalities being used to affirm electoral heists and in the process, undermine the will of the people and silence them? What is the meaning of a ‘typographical error’ when a judgment has already been delivered?
Is it, according to some Nigerians, that the ‘real’ judgement was pushed aside and another read which has now led to a ‘typographical error?” he queried.
He said what was happening now ran against this old “popular saying from the 1950s to 1980s in Yorubaland ‘orun ke niwaju Adajo’ (you dare not sleep before a judge),” noting that those were the glorious years in Nigerian judiciary when Judges were judges.
“Obviously, the unholy dalliances between some politicians and judges is dangerous to our democracy.
“Millions of people will come out on the day of the election, queue, collect ballot papers, cast their votes for their preferred candidates, results will be announced and everybody will jubilate only for three, five or seven judges to upturn the popular will of the people. What an affront!
“Pitiably, we now have a situation in which politicians who did not participate in party primaries are affirmed by the judiciary as the candidates because of ‘technicalities.’
“That is why Nigerians strongly believe that some members of the Executive suppress and intimidate Judges, just to get favourable judgements,” he said.
The PDP chieftain maintained that democracy should be about the people, exercising their fundamental human rights, and not being goaded, as currently being witnessed in the country, positing that electoral verdict should be the sole responsibility of the electorate.
He said such principle had now been turned upside down, leaving the country to now have “government of the judiciary, by the judiciary, for the judiciary.”
The PDP chieftain, while citing recent happening in Liberia where President George Weah had already congratulated his challenger, Joseph Boakai even when the electoral commission was still counting the votes, and the 2015 occurrence when President Goodluck Jonathan did same in Nigeria in 2015, said “it is our belief that the best the judiciary must do in political cases is to adjudicate and where there are discrepancies, order for a rerun without giving victory to party A or B.
“In our opinion, it is wrong to remove the power of the electorate to elect political leaders and for the Judiciary to tell us who the winners are.
“This is not good for the polity. This is not good for Nigeria. This is not good for our electoral system. A compromised judiciary is dangerous. Something urgent must be done to stop this malady,” George said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.
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