Chidi Anselm Odinkalu has stated that the real force behind recent controversial decisions by Justice Peter Lifu at the Federal High Court is Chief Judge John Terhemba Tsoho. Odinkalu made the remarks in a post on the X platform. He described the situation as transactional judicial jobbery involving Lifu and pointed to Tsoho as the person enabling it.
Odinkalu noted that the office of Chief Judge carries real powers. These include responsibility for the posting and transfer of judges as well as the assignment of cases. In most other countries cases are assigned by algorithm. In Nigeria after a case is filed the file goes to the Chief Judge or to the most senior judge in the judicial division often called the Admin Judge. That person then assigns the case to a judge to hear it. The process is manual and personal. Odinkalu said this step is often the most important decision in many cases because it controls the outcome. Under John Tsoho this frequently predetermines cases especially those with a political flavour.
According to Odinkalu the Chief Judge maintains a closed list of acolytes whom he trusts to hear and decide political cases in the direction of the political wind or the patron to be served. Peter Lifu holds a valued place on that list of judges described as political hitmen on the Federal High Court bench. Odinkalu said Lifu can only do so because Tsoho encourages him. The political patron whose interest is being served is easy to figure out.
Odinkalu listed recent decisions by Peter Lifu. These include declaring the David Mark led caretaker leadership of the ADC illegal. Nullifying the emergence of David Mark as National Chairman. Invalidating Rauf Aregbesola emergence as National Secretary. Nullifying decisions taken by the disputed leadership including the presidential primary that produced Atiku Abubakar. Invalidating the nominations of other ADC candidates for the 2027 elections. Directing the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise decisions taken at the party July 27 2025 National Executive Committee meeting. Disregarding the specific order of the Court of Appeal to stay proceedings related to the caretaker leadership matter. And sitting as his own court of appeal on the decision of Justice Liman of the same court on the primary and candidate nominations.
Odinkalu said these decisions ransack the discipline of judicial hierarchy and precedent. To reach them Peter Lifu routinely and repeatedly disregards controlling precedent from the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Most other judges who do that will be out of a job yet he prospers. The problem with Lifu and the group of political surrogates acting as judges under the leadership of John Tsoho has moved beyond criticism of separate decisions in specific cases. It concerns a pattern of manifestly compromised case assignments and docket management by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. This provides ample evidence in support of the conclusion that there is deliberate collusion in the court hierarchy to produce predetermined decisions from the court of Lifu and his group of politically corrupted judges.
Odinkalu asked how cases involving the ADC keep going to Lifu even after the Court of Appeal on record called him a judicial rascal and found him guilty of judicial impertinence in relation to matters affecting the same party. He urged anyone who sees John Tsoho to ask whether the Chief Judge does not know of other judges in the Federal High Court. He also said to ask whose interest Tsoho is serving because one thing is now clear. He is no longer serving the interest of justice in the office of Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and he knows it.
