NBA Threatens To Discipline Nafiu Gombe’s Lawyer, Others Who Deliberately File Frivolous Ex Parte Motions To Interfere In Intra-Party Affairs

The Nigerian Bar Association has issued a stern warning to legal practitioners, threatening disciplinary action against lawyers who deliberately file frivolous ex parte motions and other court processes aimed at interfering in the internal affairs of political parties, with specific reference to the lawyer representing former African Democratic Congress chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe .

In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, April 10, 2026, the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, declared that lawyers who engage in such conduct risk being reported to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). “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,” Osigwe stated . “We will not hesitate to present petitions before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee against any Legal Practitioner found to be engaging in such conduct. This will be pursued decisively to serve as a deterrent and to preserve the sanctity of the judicial process” .

The NBA’s warning comes against the backdrop of a contentious suit filed by Gombe against the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, which had already suffered a setback after Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja declined to grant an emergency ex parte order to halt party activities . Instead, the judge directed Gombe to put all defendants on notice to show cause why the motion should not be granted . The case subsequently became entangled in appellate proceedings, with the Appeal Court ordering the parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum .

Osigwe referenced Section 83 of the Electoral Act 2026, which explicitly bars courts from entertaining jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the internal affairs of political parties. The provision also prohibits courts from granting interim or interlocutory injunctions in such cases, even when suits are filed . “What we now see are situations where actions are not only instituted in Courts by lawyers in clear violation of the Act, but Courts purportedly grant interim and/or interlocutory injunctions in clear contempt of statutory provisions of the law,” Osigwe lamented . “This does not augur well for our democracy” .

The NBA President described the emerging trend as an assault on the amended 2026 Electoral Act and a dangerous attempt to turn court processes into instruments of political manipulation. “This emerging trend of subverting the clear letters of the Electoral Act and dragging courts into the internal affairs of political parties through disingenuous litigation, forum shopping, and malafide applications designed to secure undemocratic political advantage, bodes no good for our democracy,” he warned . He further alleged that some lawyers are guilty of filing processes aimed at securing favourable judicial orders in political disputes .

The association also called on the National Judicial Council to make regulations that will sanction any judge who knowingly assumes jurisdiction in matters clearly barred by law or grants orders in respect of intra-party disputes . “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, constitutional responsibilities, and the preservation of public confidence in the courts,” Osigwe stated .

In addition, the NBA urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to exercise its supervisory powers with utmost neutrality and independence, warning that the commission must not be perceived as a participant in political engineering . “The Bar is closely watching the conduct of the Commission,” the NBA president added . The association reminded members of the bar that they are “Ministers in the Temple of Justice and not political agents seeking judicial endorsement of partisan objectives” .