The Pan-African Youth Development Network (PAYDN) has publicly endorsed the call by Labour Party lawmaker Philip Agbese for Nigeria to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing the move as a timely reflection of widespread frustration across the continent. In a statement issued on Monday, August 10, and signed by its Country Director, Dr. Charles Okolo, the organization argued that the Hague-based court has become a tool disproportionately used against African nations while powerful countries escape scrutiny.
ICC's Selective Justice Under Fire
PAYDN said the pattern of prosecutions and investigations pursued by the ICC over the years has reinforced a belief that Africa is its primary target. The group's statement highlighted that while African leaders and conflict situations face intense judicial scrutiny, allegations involving influential global powers receive little or no meaningful attention.
"The concerns raised by Hon. Philip Agbese resonate with millions of young Africans who have watched with dismay as the International Criminal Court appears to reserve its prosecutorial zeal almost exclusively for African leaders and conflicts, while allegations involving influential global powers receive little or no meaningful attention," Dr. Okolo said.
Agbese, who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, made the case for Nigeria's exit from the ICC during a television interview on TVC last week. His stance has now gained institutional backing from a continental youth network that claims to represent the aspirations of young Africans.
Call for Regional Judicial Empowerment
The youth group insisted that no international judicial body can claim legitimacy if it operates on political convenience rather than fairness, emphasizing that justice must be universal without exception. PAYDN argued that Africa possesses the capacity to build and strengthen its own regional mechanisms to handle crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide, thereby reducing dependence on external institutions that many across the continent regard as politically compromised.
The organization urged the African Union to step up efforts to empower continental judicial frameworks that reflect Africa's realities while meeting international standards of accountability. On Nigeria's specific role, PAYDN said the country, as Africa's largest democracy, carries a responsibility to lead reform efforts within the global justice system.
"Hon. Agbese's intervention should not be dismissed as a rejection of accountability. Rather, it is a call for a more balanced international legal order where justice is blind to geography, race and political influence," Dr. Okolo added.
Next Steps: Pan-African Parliament Motion
The group called on Nigerian lawmakers, civil society groups, and African stakeholders to open formal conversations about strengthening home-grown judicial institutions. PAYDN also announced plans to work with Nigeria's delegation at the next extraordinary session of the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa to table a formal motion on the matter.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Philip Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The lawmaker, who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, announced his official defection on the floor of the House during plenary on Tuesday, March 31.
As the debate over Nigeria's ICC membership intensifies, PAYDN's backing adds a youth perspective to the discourse, potentially influencing public opinion and legislative action in the coming months.
