By John Dike, Osogbo
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State has raised an alarm over what it called “suspicious and illegal” correspondence allegedly originating from the office of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.
It called for an immediate investigation into the letters, believed to be connected to the ongoing legal battle over the local government leadership crisis in the state.
Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, PDP State Chairman, Sunday Bisi, raised concerns over two letters which he claimed were improperly issued, in violation of judicial procedure and raising fears of political interference.
According to Bisi, the first letter, dated August 21, 2025, was signed by Joshua Ibrahim Aji Esq, who identified himself as Special Assistant to the Chief Judge. The letter, he said, assigned a judicial duty to a judge, which he described as a “gross aberration” and a breach of legal protocol.
“Judicial powers cannot be exercised by proxies or delegated to personal assistants. They are strictly reserved for judicial officers,” Bisi said.
He further noted that the second letter, dated September 2, 2025, was even more troubling, as it was not signed by the Special Assistant, but by an unnamed individual acting on his behalf. The letter purportedly reassigned a case to another judge, raising suspicions of forgery and backdating.
Bisi explained that the letter was only delivered to the Osun State counsel on September 11, nine days after its purported date. Yet, the case had already come up in court in Abuja on September 8, without any reference to the letter by either the court or the parties.
The PDP chairman maintained that under the Federal High Court Act, the transfer of a case from one judge to another can only be done through a formal application in open court, not by private or administrative correspondence.
He also faulted the Chief Judge’s office for addressing the September 2 letter directly to Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, even though the AGF had officially withdrawn from the matter.
“Why is the office of the Chief Judge afraid to allow this case to be heard in the Osogbo Division of the Federal High Court where it was filed?” Bisi asked.
“Why these backdoor manipulations by persons unknown to the law?” he queried.
Bisi further accused the AGF of undermining previous court decisions that had favoured the PDP. He cited two judgments: the Federal High Court ruling in Suit No. FHC/OS/CS/103/2022 delivered on November 30, 2022, and the Court of Appeal judgment in CA/AK/270/2025 delivered on June 13, 2025, both of which upheld the PDP’s position in the local government leadership dispute.
Instead of respecting these rulings, Bisi alleged, the AGF had continued to back sacked APC chairmen and councillors, encouraging them to embark on “judicial adventures” aimed at elongating their tenure.
He pointed out that although the AGF had earlier requested only an expeditious hearing during vacation, the September 2 letter went ahead to transfer the matter to a vacation judge, effectively making him a substantive judge — a move no party had demanded.
“This is not a mere technicality. It is a deliberate attempt to erode judicial independence and impose political bias on the courts,” Bisi stated.
The Osun PDP has therefore demanded that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court launch a probe into the issuance of the letters, investigate the role of his aides, and take steps to restore transparency and integrity in judicial processes.
“We demand accountability, transparency, and above all, respect for the judiciary,” Bisi declared.
