ADC Raises Alarm as Court Delays Release of Lifu’s Judgment Despite Payment

ADC Raises Alarm as Court Delays Release of Lifu’s Judgment Despite Payment

 

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised fresh concerns over the handling of its leadership crisis, accusing the Federal High Court in Abuja of delaying the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of a judgment that nullified the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party.

 

The party’s Presidential Campaign Council said the continued delay had denied affected parties access to the full details of the judgment, despite the payment of the prescribed fees for obtaining certified copies.

 

In a statement issued on Monday, November 9, 2026, the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, said lawyers representing some of the defendants had formally applied for the certified judgment but were yet to receive the document.

 

According to the council, counsel to the third defendant submitted an application on November 5, the day Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment, while counsel to the first defendant filed another application on November 6.

 

The council maintained that both applications carried the Federal High Court’s official ‘PAID’ stamp, indicating that the required fees had been settled.

 

Shaibu questioned why the certified judgment had remained inaccessible despite the judge’s reported declaration in open court that copies were ready.

 

He argued that the delay was particularly troubling because the judgment directly affected the leadership and future of the opposition party, as well as the political interests of its members.

 

The ADC campaign council maintained that without the certified copy, affected parties could not properly establish the precise orders made by the court or fully determine the appropriate legal steps to challenge them.

 

It described the situation as a denial of access to justice, insisting that litigants should not be subjected to unnecessary difficulties in obtaining official copies of judicial decisions affecting their rights.

 

The council also recalled its earlier objection to Justice Lifu presiding over the case, saying its National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, had previously raised concerns about the judge’s impartiality.

 

It further questioned the timing of the judgment, which was delivered days after the ADC’s campaign activities in Sokoto, alleging that the circumstances surrounding the ruling and the subsequent delay in releasing the certified copy had heightened suspicions among party members.

 

The ADC had earlier rejected the November 5 judgment and announced plans to challenge it through the appropriate judicial channels.

 

In the controversial ruling, Justice Lifu nullified the Senator David Mark-led leadership structure and invalidated actions taken by the disputed executive, including decisions connected to the party’s 2027 presidential nomination.

 

The ruling also recognised the position of Nafiu Bala Gombe in the leadership dispute.

 

The ADC has vowed to pursue every lawful avenue to challenge the judgment, while demanding an immediate explanation for the delay in releasing its certified copy.

 

As of Monday, November 9, there was no reported official response from the Federal High Court addressing the campaign council’s latest allegation.

 

 

ADC Raises Alarm as Court Delays Release of Lifu’s Judgment Despite Payment