Comrade Chika Idoko, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections, has submitted a formal complaint to the Chief Justice of the Federation and the National Assembly. He accuses Abubakar Babasoro, the Deputy Court Registrar 2 (DR2) of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, of obstructing his appeal in a case involving him and the Enugu State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Idoko’s legal dispute began after the PDP primaries in 2022 when he took the party to court, seeking the disqualification of all PDP candidates in the state. He argued that the PDP failed to submit its membership register within the 30-day timeframe required by the Electoral Act for conducting primaries.
Initially, the Federal High Court in Enugu ruled that while the PDP had indeed violated the Electoral Act, Idoko lacked the standing (locus) to bring the case, as he was neither a PDP member nor a candidate in their primaries.
Unsatisfied with this ruling, Idoko appealed to the Court of Appeal but not only lost again but was also fined ₦37 million in general damages to the respondents.
Idoko has since taken his case to the Supreme Court, where he claims that the progress of his case has been hindered by the actions of Mr. Babasoro.
In his letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Idoko expressed his frustration and sought intervention. He complained that his case had been unfairly delayed despite his compliance with all Supreme Court rules.
In a separate petition to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idoko highlighted his previous attempts to communicate with the Supreme Court. He also expressed concern that his letters were either missing or ignored by the court officials, leading to a miscarriage of justice.
He urged the Speaker to use his office to intercede on his behalf, emphasizing that his case deserved a fair hearing due to the ₦37 million fine imposed on him by the Court of Appeal. He insisted that the Supreme Court should have the final say on the matter for the enrichment of jurisprudence in Nigeria.
As an ordinary Nigerian, he requested that his case be promptly scheduled for a hearing in the interest of justice and fairness, and he humbly urged the Speaker to advocate for this with the Supreme Court.