From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

TheNigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the involvement of lawyers, judges and the electoral institutions in the internal affairs of political parties, warning that such actions are capable of undermining the nation’s democracy.

This is contained in a statement released on Friday, by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), wherein he expressed deep concern over recent political and legal developments linked to the interpretation and application of the Electoral Act 2026.

Osigwe warned that the NBA would not hesitate to sanction erring practitioners.

“Lawyers who deliberately file actions aimed at procuring judicial interference in intra-party affairs, or who seek ex-parte or interlocutory orders in clear violation of statutory provisions, risk facing disciplinary proceedings.”

He disclosed that the association would take such cases before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to serve as a deterrent and preserve the sanctity of the judicial process.

“Lawyers must remain officers of the court, not architects of procedural manipulation. Nigeria’s democracy must not be weakened by legal manoeuvring, institutional capture, or the misuse of judicial authority,” he said.

The NBA also called on the judiciary to exercise restraint and resist being drawn into politically motivated disputes.

“The Nigerian judiciary must stay vigilant and resist being drawn into political theatrics,” Osigwe said, urging judges to strictly adhere to statutory limits on their jurisdiction.

He further called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to introduce regulations that would sanction judges who assume jurisdiction in matters expressly barred by law or grant orders that violate statutory provisions.

“The NBA will not shy away from drawing the NJC’s attention to the actions of any judicial officer found to have acted in a manner inconsistent with the judicial oath,” he added.

On the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), NBA urged the electoral body to exercise its supervisory powers with neutrality and independence.

Osigwe noted that the commission must not be perceived as engaging in political engineering or weakening political pluralism.