The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over its decision to initiate disciplinary proceedings against lawyer and politician Kalu Kalu for remarks about Justice Peter Lifu.
The opposition party accused the NBA of allowing itself to be drawn into what it described as a political campaign against the opposition, warning the association against appearing to take sides in the dispute.
In a statement issued on November 14 and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it supported respectful engagement and respect for public institutions but questioned what it described as the NBA’s selective response to criticism of the judiciary.
The party argued that the NBA should also address judicial conduct that has attracted criticism from the courts themselves.
It cited a June 2026 Court of Appeal ruling which it said described Justice Lifu’s conduct as the “highest form of judicial impertinence” and referred to a Supreme Court precedent characterising such conduct as judicial rascality.
The ADC questioned why the NBA had not spoken out with similar urgency when the appellate court made those observations.
“What has Kalu Kalu said about Justice Peter Lifu that the Court of Appeal has not already said?” the party asked.
The ADC said the NBA had a respected history of defending democracy and the rule of law but warned that its disciplinary action against Kalu could create the impression that it was aligning with the ruling party against opposition figures.
It also accused some judges and lawyers of undermining public confidence in the justice system through alleged improper relationships between legal practitioners, judicial officers and politicians.
The party said such conduct, rather than criticism of judges, should be a major concern for the legal association.
“It is not Kalu’s words that smear the judiciary,” the statement said. “What discredits the Bench and the Bar is the conduct of conscienceless judges like Lifu and equally conscienceless lawyers who are alleged to operate a network of client judges in the service of conscienceless politicians in power.”
The ADC maintained that the NBA should not treat demands for judicial accountability as an attack on the institution.
It said lawyers should exercise restraint but argued that respect for the courts should not prevent people from speaking out against alleged injustice.
“We agree that lawyers must exercise restraint. But there is no respectful way to address evil, and the NBA cannot teach us one,” the party said.
The statement followed the NBA’s decision to refer a petition concerning Kalu’s remarks about Justice Lifu to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
The NBA had said lawyers were entitled to criticise judicial decisions but must not resort to personal attacks against judicial officers. It also said Kalu would have an opportunity to respond to the complaint, with the disciplinary committee responsible for determining whether professional misconduct had occurred.
The ADC’s statement did not indicate whether the party had taken any formal legal action in response to the NBA’s decision.
It concluded by urging the NBA to defend the rule of law and the independence of the legal profession without becoming involved in partisan political disputes.
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