ADC Slams APC Over 'Shameless' Celebration of Judges' Housing Project.

Opposition party says turning judicial welfare into political propaganda undermines public trust in Nigeria's courts

The African Democratic Congress has launched a scathing attack on the All Progressives Congress for what it calls an "unethical" celebration of new residential quarters for judges, warning that the ruling party is dangerously blurring the lines between executive power and judicial independence.

In a blistering statement released Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi made it clear that while judges absolutely deserve proper accommodation and security, these are constitutional obligations not favours to be handed out by politicians seeking credit.

The controversy stems from President Bola Tinubu's unveiling of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division Building Complex on Monday. The sprawling facility in Dakibiyu features two large courtrooms, eight smaller ones, a library, ten judges' suites, three conference halls, and administrative offices. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President at the event.

But the ADC isn't buying the celebration.

"What the APC has done is create the impression that the welfare of judges depends on the whims of government officials," Abdullahi said in the statement. "This sends entirely the wrong signal to Nigerians."

The opposition party is particularly troubled by how the ruling party framed the project. The APC had earlier praised both Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, suggesting the project demonstrates the President's commitment to strengthening democratic institutions.

The ADC sees this differently.

In constitutional democracies built on separation of powers, the party argues, the judiciary must never appear to be benefiting from the generosity of political actors whose actions might one day end up in court.

"This action alone creates the unmistakable appearance that judicial welfare is dependent on executive benevolence," the statement read. "It raises legitimate concerns about the proper boundaries between the Executive and the Judiciary."

The ADC also took issue with the APC's claim that the housing project strengthens judicial independence. True independence, the party insists, comes from institutional autonomy, financial independence, security of tenure, and freedom from political pressure—not from having nice buildings commissioned by politicians.

The timing, the ADC suggests, is particularly tone-deaf. Courts across Nigeria are currently handling election petitions, constitutional disputes, and cases involving government officials. Parading judicial welfare as a political achievement only undermines public perception of neutrality.

"The ADC views this partisan fanfare as a shameless assault on the spirit of separation of powers," the party declared.

The opposition has urged public institutions not to become instruments of political patronage or vehicles for cultivating judicial gratitude.

In other words: build the judges their houses, by all means. Just don't act like you're doing them a personal favour.