By Henry Ojelu

On Thursday, February 12, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja usually sat long after dusk. From 9 a.m. till about 8 p.m., a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, headed by Mohammed Ambi‑Usi Danjuma, painstakingly heard and harmonised ten fiercely contested appeals arising from three different courts of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Other members of the panel are Hon Justice Okechukwu Onyemenam and Hon Justice Muhammed Mustapha

At stake were the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the fate of parallel litigations touching the governorship tussle in Ondo State.

The sitting was unprecedented. Never before had such a volume of politically combustible appeals—emanating from conflicting decisions of coordinate courts—been compressed into a single, marathon hearing before one panel.

Yet under Justice Danjuma’s steady leadership, the court explored the issues with discipline, clarity and solemn deliberation, ultimately reserving judgment to be formally communicated to the parties. It was a moment that underscored not just judicial stamina, but judicial statesmanship.

Steering a Fractured Legal Terrain

The PDP matters were legally knotty and politically charged: rival claims to party leadership, competing orders from different Federal High Court judges, and consequential reliefs that threatened to pull the party—and the courts—into deeper uncertainty.

By consolidating and hearing the appeals together, the panel confronted the fragmentation head-on, ensuring coherence in appellate review and guarding against contradictory outcomes.

Justice Danjuma’s conduct throughout reflected a jurist deeply aware of the constitutional implications of intra-party disputes and electoral litigation. Submissions were allowed full ventilation; records were meticulously examined; counsel were guided back to first principles—jurisdiction, standing, and the limits of judicial intervention in party affairs—without theatrics.

Many observers who were inside the court noted a courtroom managed with firm courtesy, where time was respected and substance prevailed.

An Erudite Jurist at the Helm

Justice Danjuma’s performance did not emerge in a vacuum. A product of years of judicial service, he is known for methodical reasoning and fidelity to precedent.

On the appellate bench, his opinions consistently show a careful sifting of facts from law, and a reluctance to upend trial findings absent clear error. That temperament proved vital in the PDP appeals, where emotions ran high and political consequences loomed large.

The panel’s long sitting, rare in the appellate court, spoke to the seriousness with which Justice Danjuma approached the task: justice not rushed, yet not delayed.

Leadership in a Demanding Court

The PDP and Ondo matters unfolded within a Court of Appeal navigating an intense national docket, particularly election-related disputes. Under the leadership of Monica Dongban‑Mensem, the court has emphasised discipline, timeliness and institutional coherence.

Justice Danjuma’s panel exemplified that ethos—demonstrating how appellate courts can rise above procedural chaos to deliver authoritative clarity.

Importantly, the decision to reserve judgment, after exhaustive hearing, reinforced confidence that outcomes would be grounded in law, not expediency. In politically sensitive cases, the optics of fairness matter; the substance matters more. By giving parties their day and taking the time to deliberate, the panel strengthened public trust in the appellate process.

JB Daudu, other silk commend

Thrilled by the determination of the Justice Danjuma’s led panel to dispense with the matter, the former Nigeria Bar Association NBA president, J.B Daudu, SAN, said “In my 45 years as a lawyer and 30 years in the Inner Bar, I have never seen this kind of inspiration and strength to take nine appeals in a day. I pray to the good Lord to give you more strength. Another respected senior lawyer Chris Uche, SAN, also said that he was amazed to see my Lord work tirelessly.

Beyond the Moment

While the PDP appeals may define the day, Justice Danjuma’s contribution to Nigerian jurisprudence is broader. Across criminal, civil and electoral appeals, he has maintained a reputation for sobriety, clarity and respect for the hierarchy of courts.

His judgments add to a growing body of appellate authority that prizes consistency and constitutional order.

The marathon sitting in Abuja on Thursday will be remembered as a test of judicial capacity and a pass. In an era when courts are often pulled into the vortex of political conflict, Justice Danjuma, demonstrated how the law can be applied with calm authority. The judgments, when delivered, will speak for themselves. The process already has.