A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Nkemakolam Ukandu has dragged the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho and Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Abuja division of the FHC, to court over allegations of bias and corruption in respect of a case involving the ADC before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Ukandu, who is the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, is seeking an order of the court directing the NJC, which is the 1st defendant to investigate the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justices Tsoho and Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who are 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively, over alleged corruption and manifest bias in the hearing of a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025 between Hon. Dumebi Kachikwu and four others and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and five others.
The plaintiff in the suit dated and filed March 3, is also seeking an order of injunction restraining Justice Abdulmalik from continuing to preside over the suit pending the hearing and determination of his petition to the NJC.
Ukandu is also seeking an order directing Abdulmalik in particular to recuse herself from the suit on grounds of manifest bias and grave likelihood of bias against him.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/445/26 was filed on behalf of the plaintiff by an Abuja based legal practitioner, Kalu Kalu Agu.
In a 52 paragraph statement of claims, Ukandu stated that his suit followed an application in which he was joined as the 6th defendant in the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/ CS /1331/2025, on October 3, 2025.
While Dumebi Kachikwu, Adikwu Elias, Etimbuk Umoh, Muhammad Khala, and Alakum William are the 1st to 5th plaintiffs respectively in the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/ CS /1331/2025, INEC, ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Senator David Mark, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola are 1st to 5th defendants respectively.
Ukandu stated that problem started when the judge came down heavily on his counsel at the proceedings of October 23, 2025, for not filing response to the originating summons served on him barely 24 hours by the plaintiffs’ counsel and then abridged time of response from 30 days to seven, including Saturday and Sunday.
“The claimant being dissatisfied with the Ruling, petitioned the 2nd defendant against the said ruling and demanded for a transfer of his case to another Judge on grounds of manifest bias and grave likelihood of bias on the part of the Court against the claimant.
“The claimant thereafter filed a Notice of Appeal, compiled and transmitted Record of Appeal and the appeal entered at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division”.
He further said that the Chief Judge in a letter dated November 7, 2025, and addressed to the claimant’s counsel, directed the court to proceed with the hearing of the matter despite a pending appeal at the Court of Appeal, a development which led the claimant to file an action against the 2nd defendant in suit No: FCT/HC/CV/4684/2025: Nkemakolam Ukandu VS. Justice James Tsoho and two others, “wherein the 2nd defendant was directed to maintain status quo in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025: Dumebi Kachikwu and four others & VS. INEC and five others”.
Ukandu contended that despite the pendency of the matter and the order of the High Court of the FCT which directed the 2nd defendant to maintain status quo in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025: the 2nd defendant, in disobedience to the said order went ahead and reassigned Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025: to the 3rd defendant.
Plaintiff further claimed that despite taking judicial notice of the pending appeal suit at the FCT High Court and the “order endorsed ex-facie the said writ of summons, the 3rd defendant started presiding and heard the matter on January 30, without serving notice of hearing on his lawyer, Mr Kalu Agu.
According to the statement of claim, the bailiff of the court filed a purported certificate of service of the hearing notice of January 30, purportedly served on the plaintiff’s counsel in the 3rd defendant’s file, adding that the 3rd defendant subsequently acted on the said certificate of service to hear the matter on January 30, 2026.
Amongst the reliefs he is seeking include a declaration that it is the responsibility of the NJC to “investigate complaints against judicial officers and mete out sanctions accordingly”.
While also praying for an order directing the NJC to investigate the allegation of corruption and manifest bias against the 2nd and 3rd defendants with regards to their involvement in Suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025, Ukandu is also asking for an order restraining the 3rd defendant from continuing to preside over the said case.
“An order of injunction restraining the 3rd defendant from continuing to preside over Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025 … pending the hearing and determination of the petition to the 1st defendant by the plaintiff against the 2nd and 3rd defendants.
“An order of court directing the 1st defendant to recuse herself in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025 … on grounds of manifest bias/grave likelihood of bias on the part of the 1st and 2nd defendants against the Claimant.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
