PDP Urges NBA, LPDC to Sanction Lawyers for allegedly Twisting Court Verdict

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to investigate and sanction lawyers accused of deliberately misrepresenting a recent Court of Appeal judgment relating to the party’s leadership dispute.

The party expressed concern over what it described as persistent attempts by individuals claiming to be members of an Interim National Working Committee (NWC) to distort the contents of the appellate court’s ruling for political advantage.

In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the PDP alleged that a June 3 press statement signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong, a legal practitioner, contained interpretations and conclusions that were inconsistent with the actual judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal.

According to the party, the alleged distortion of the ruling amounts to an attack on the integrity of the judiciary and the administration of justice.

“The Certified True Copy of the judgment speaks for itself and leaves no room for the false narratives currently being circulated across the media and social media platforms,” the statement said.

The PDP maintained that the Court of Appeal did not invalidate the legality or constitutionality of the party’s caretaker committee from which the current National Working Committee emerged. Rather, it said the court dismissed the appeal on the grounds that it was academic and sought to relitigate issues already determined by superior courts.

The party argued that the judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan delivered on January 30, 2026, therefore remains valid, binding and enforceable.

It further rejected claims that the appellate court made pronouncements concerning A.K. Ajibade (SAN) or Senator Samuel Anyanwu, insisting that no such declarations appeared anywhere in the judgment.

The opposition party also raised alarm over the circulation of what it described as manipulated excerpts of the court ruling on social media, alleging that portions highlighted and presented as part of the judgment did not emanate from the court.

Consequently, the PDP urged security agencies and relevant regulatory authorities to investigate the source of the documents and prosecute anyone found culpable.

The party stressed that legal practitioners bear a special responsibility to uphold the integrity of the judicial process, warning that deliberate misrepresentation of court decisions could erode public confidence in the judiciary and heighten political tensions.

It also called on media organisations to exercise caution in reporting judicial matters, urging journalists and editors to verify court documents and seek proper legal interpretation before publishing reports capable of misleading the public.

Describing the judiciary as the “last hope of the common man,” the PDP insisted that court judgments must be faithfully represented and protected from manipulation by individuals pursuing partisan interests.

The party therefore appealed to the public, party members and stakeholders to disregard claims that the Court of Appeal had invalidated the present National Working Committee, reiterating its support for the leadership of Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

It warned that failure by relevant authorities to act against those allegedly distorting judicial pronouncements could encourage the spread of misinformation and undermine confidence in democratic institutions and the rule of law.