By Folayimika Akanbi
African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to challenge in the Court of Appeal the judgement of the Federal High Court, which nullified the David Mark-led National Working Committee of the party.
The judgement, which Justice Peter Lifu of Abuja Division of Federal High Court delivered on Thursday, voided the leadership of Mark, effectively rendering the candidacy of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar presidential flag-bearer and others as invalid.
The judgement came less than 80 days to the 2027 general election.
In a statement on Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party has rejected the judgement and would proceed to challenge it.
“We would challenge the judgment through every available judicial process. The ruling raised concerns about the political rights of its members and candidates ahead of the general election,” the party said.
The party also questioned the timing of the judgment, suggesting that it came amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 poll.
Titled, ‘Lifu Judgment: APC Wants to Set Nigeria on Fire’, the ADC’s statement said the ruling could affect thousands of its candidates seeking elective positions across the country.
“Yesterday, Nigerians came out in their hundreds of thousands to demonstrate their support for the ADC and our promise of making life affordable for them.
“Today, they are being told that the party that they support and the candidates that they have supported at all levels could be erased by the stroke of a reckless judicial pen,” the statement said.
The party maintained that the matter went beyond Atiku and Mark, arguing that the judgment had implications on the participation of its members in the electoral process.
“Do these people understand what they are playing with? This is not about Atiku Abubakar or David Mark. It is about the democratic rights of Nigerians to freely choose their own leaders. It is about the rights of thousands of candidates to participate in a democratic process,” it added.
Wind Gate News reports that Justice Lifu, in his judgement, nullified the leadership of the Mark-led ADC and invalidated decisions taken under his leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
The judgment was sequel to the suit former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, filed, challenging the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Justice Lifu held that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership violated the party’s constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
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