The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned a Federal High Court judgment affecting its leadership structure, describing the development as an attempt to suppress opposition parties and pave the way for President Bola Tinubu to emerge as the sole contender in the 2027 general elections.
The party alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was pursuing a political agenda aimed at weakening opposition forces and undermining democratic competition ahead of the next presidential election.
On November 5, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC and invalidated decisions taken by the party’s caretaker committee. The judgment followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the party, who challenged the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Mark and other committee members following the resignation of former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
The ruling subsequently raised questions about the validity of the process through which former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the ADC’s presidential candidate, considering that the primary election was organised under the leadership of the Mark-led committee.
However, the ADC faulted the court’s decision, describing it as legally indefensible and accusing the APC of using the judiciary to undermine opposition parties. The party maintained that it would challenge the ruling, insisting that an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court had recognised the legitimacy of the David Mark-led leadership.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesperson for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, accused the APC of attempting to clear the political space for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 rather than allowing a competitive electoral process.
Ologbondiyan argued that the ruling party was creating an environment in which opposition candidates would be unable to effectively participate in the forthcoming election.
He said, “So it now goes into what we have been saying because what we now want is that no candidate must stand against during the election, and that goes to nothing as far as we are concerned in the African Democratic Congress.”
The ADC spokesperson disclosed that the party had commenced the necessary legal procedures to challenge the judgment, stressing that its activities were conducted in compliance with an earlier court decision recognising Mark’s leadership.
“The Federal High Court in Abuja here, saying, recognising the leadership of Senator David Mark as chairman of ADC. It’s upon that that the party has carried out its activities.”
Describing the latest ruling against the party’s leadership as a “hired gun,” Ologbondiyan questioned how a judge of the same court could invalidate a decision previously delivered by another judge of equal jurisdiction.
“Now you have a hired gun coming from nowhere, sitting in appeal on the same court of the same jurisdiction, and saying that, oh, what his own fellow brother on the bench ruled is no longer valid, when it was the same court that the party obeyed in carrying out its activities. ”
Despite its reservations about the judgment, Ologbondiyan maintained that the ADC remained confident in the appellate process and would await the decision of the Court of Appeal.
On November 6, the party announced that it had filed an appeal alongside an application seeking a stay of execution of the judgment. It also warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against implementing any consequential decision while the legal proceedings remained unresolved.
Meanwhile, the ADC’s legal representative, Kalu Kalu, has maintained that the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu did not invalidate Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility or candidacy for the 2027 presidential election.
Kalu made the clarification on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following the release of the certified true copy (CTC) of the controversial judgment earlier that day.
The lawyer accused individuals of misinterpreting the court’s decision by attributing orders to the judgment that were never expressly made. He insisted that the ruling contained no provision specifically nullifying Atiku’s presidential candidacy or that of other ADC candidates.
“The judgement of Honourable Justice Peter Lifu does not in any way void the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for the presidential election coming up on the 16th day of January, 2027. There is no portion of that judgement that voids the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar and other candidates of the party, there is none,” Kalu said.
He further challenged Nigerians to obtain and examine the judgment, arguing that its actual orders had been wrongly interpreted by some individuals.
“And we are placing it on record, let the whole world go and read the judgement of Honourable Justice Peter Lifu. The best you could get from that judgement is a declarative order made by Honourable Justice Peter Lifu that all actions, steps, activities taken by David Mark and Aregbesola from the 29th day of July 2025 till date are null and void and of no effect whatsoever. And people are now importing what is not stated or what is not declared on that judgment,” he added.
The ADC’s position suggests that the party considers the leadership dispute separate from the validity of its presidential candidate’s nomination, leaving the interpretation and implications of the court’s ruling to be addressed through the ongoing appeal process.
