By Lanre Oloyede
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to weaken the opposition through judicial interventions following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja affecting the party’s leadership and the candidacy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
The ADC described the judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, as a desperate attempt to undermine opposition politics and deny Nigerians the opportunity to freely choose their leaders in the forthcoming general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party linked the timing of the judgment to its presidential campaign rally in Sokoto, which it claimed attracted hundreds of thousands of supporters.
The opposition party alleged that the ruling, delivered barely 24 hours after the rally, was intended to frustrate its growing political momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We have reasons to believe that the judgment had long been written on this case. The Sokoto rally was simply a trigger that stampeded its delivery,” the statement said.
The ADC argued that the implications of the judgment extended beyond Atiku and the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, warning that it could affect thousands of its candidates seeking elective positions at the local, state and federal levels.
It maintained that the matter concerned the democratic rights of Nigerians to participate in elections and choose their preferred leaders without interference.
The party also questioned the legal basis of the judgment, citing an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, delivered on July 2, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
According to the ADC, the earlier judgment affirmed the legitimacy of the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the leadership.
It argued that a court of coordinate jurisdiction could not sit on appeal over, review or nullify a subsisting judgment of another court of equal jurisdiction.
The party said it was awaiting the Certified True Copy of Justice Lifu’s judgment to determine its precise terms, scope and consequential orders before taking further legal steps.
The ADC vowed to challenge the ruling through all available judicial processes, describing it as legally indefensible.
It further accused the APC of exploiting judicial controversies to frustrate opposition parties whenever they appeared to be gaining political strength.
Warning against what it described as attempts to eliminate political competition, the party said the country’s peace and stability should not be sacrificed for the political ambitions of any individual or party.
“The peace and stability of Nigeria are bigger than the ambition of any president or political party. Nobody should be so desperate to retain power that they are prepared to put the entire country at risk,” it stated.
The ADC also challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC to submit themselves to free and fair elections rather than resort to what it described as attempts to undermine opposition parties.
It called on the judiciary to protect its independence and resist any attempt to use the courts to weaken democratic institutions or impose authoritarian rule.
The party urged its members nationwide to remain calm and law-abiding while its leadership pursues the necessary legal remedies.
The controversy adds another dimension to the political and legal disputes unfolding ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly over the leadership and electoral prospects of the ADC.
