ADC Criticizes APC for Celebrating Judges' Housing Project

The African Democratic Congress has hit out at the All Progressives Congress for celebrating the opening of residential quarters for judges. They called this move unethical and said it could damage public trust in the judiciary's independence.

In a statement released on Thursday, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, said judges deserve proper housing, security, and welfare. He stressed that these are the government's constitutional duties and should not be seen as favors from politicians.

PUNCH Online reported that President Bola Tinubu opened the Court of Appeal Abuja Division Building Complex in Dakibiyu, Abuja, on Monday. This is part of his government's effort to strengthen Nigeria's judiciary.

The new building has two large courtrooms, eight smaller courtrooms, a library, ten judges' suites, three conference halls, and offices with other facilities.

“This is not just a building. This is a statement. A statement that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the rule of law will have a befitting home,” the President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said.

The APC also released a statement from its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka. He praised Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying the projects show the President's commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and highlight the minister's effective leadership.

But the ADC argued that neither Tinubu nor Wike should get personal praise for projects funded with public money. They believe this gives the wrong impression that judges' welfare depends on the goodwill of government officials instead of being a constitutional right.

“What the APC has done, by awarding personal acclaim to both the President and his minister for building houses for judges, is to create the impression that the welfare of judges is subject to the whims and caprice of government officials or to executive benevolence,” the statement read.

The party insisted that in a constitutional democracy based on the separation of powers, the judiciary should not be depicted as relying on the generosity of politicians whose actions may one day be reviewed by the courts.

Abdullahi said it is worrying that the ruling party wants to present Tinubu and Wike as supporters of the judiciary. He argued that this blurs the lines between the executive and judicial branches of government.

He added that this situation could strengthen public beliefs that the executive branch has too much influence over the judiciary.

“This action alone creates the unmistakable appearance that judicial welfare is dependent on executive benevolence rather than constitutional entitlement. It sends the wrong signal to Nigerians and inevitably raises legitimate concerns about the proper boundaries between the Executive and the Judiciary,” he explained.

The ADC also disagreed with the APC’s view that the housing project strengthens judicial independence. They said judicial independence comes from institutional autonomy, financial independence, security of tenure, and freedom from political pressure, not from infrastructure projects launched by politicians.

The opposition party said public officials should be careful with issues related to the judiciary, especially now when courts are dealing with election petitions, constitutional disputes, and cases involving government officials.

They accused the APC of turning a public project into a partisan public relations stunt, which harms how the public sees judicial neutrality.

“The ADC therefore views this partisan fanfare as a shameless assault on the spirit of separation of powers and an affront to the constitutional ideal of an independent judiciary,” the statement concluded.

The party urged public institutions not to become tools for political favors or ways to gain judicial gratitude.