ADC Raises Fresh Concerns as Court Judgment Remains Unreleased
- The African Democratic Congress demanded the immediate release of a Federal High Court judgment by Justice Peter Lifu
- Counsel for two ADC defendants paid the assessed fee and filed formal applications for certified copies, but received nothing
- ADC's Director of Strategic Communication Phrank Shaibu said the delay compounds earlier concerns about the judge's impartiality
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FCT, Abuja - The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal High Court to immediately release a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, saying paid applications for certified copies of the ruling have gone unanswered without explanation.
Legit.ng reports that Federal High Court in Abuja ruled against the Senator David Mark-led ADC caretaker committee and nullified Atiku Abubakar's status as the ADC's presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections
Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, said Justice Lifu had declared in open court that copies of the judgment were ready, yet the parties remained unable to obtain the official document.
Source: Twitter
Shaibu made the demand in a statement issued and made available to Legit.ng on Monday, November 9, 2026.
Counsel for the first defendant filed a formal application for a certified true copy on November 6, 2026, while counsel for the third defendant applied on the day the judgment was delivered.
Both applications bear the Federal High Court's "PAID" stamp, confirming that the required fees were settled.
Concerns over judicial process
The ADC had previously raised objections to Justice Lifu presiding over the matter. National Secretary Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola formally placed concerns about the judge's impartiality on record, citing appellate decisions that the party said called his neutrality into question.
Shaibu said the unexplained withholding of the judgment has deepened those concerns. He noted that Justice Lifu delivered the ruling shortly after the ADC launched its Sokoto campaign, adding to the party's suspicion about the timing.
The statement described the situation as "not a routine administrative delay," arguing that keeping the certified copy from the applicants prevents them from understanding the exact orders made and from mounting any legal challenge.
"A judge cannot announce that a judgment is ready and leave litigants to chase the document they need to understand and challenge it," Shaibu wrote.
ADC threatens legal action
The judgment concerns the internal leadership of the ADC and the rights of its members, making access to the official record critical for the party's next steps in court.
Shaibu said the ADC would pursue every lawful remedy available, place the full record before the relevant authorities, and ensure Nigerians are informed about what has taken place.
He warned that those responsible for the delay would not escape scrutiny through institutional or legal channels.
"Every day it is withheld deepens the damage to confidence in the judiciary," he said in the statement.
He called for a public explanation alongside the immediate release of the certified judgment.
Source: Original
INEC discloses next move over Atiku's ticket
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that INEC stated that it cannot take a position on the ADC leadership dispute until it receives the certified true copy of the Federal High Court ruling.
The Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the David Mark-led caretaker committee and invalidated Atiku Abubakar's emergence as ADC's 2027 presidential candidate.
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said the commission would discuss the matter at its meeting next week.
Source: Legit.ng
