By Divine Sam
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against what it described as attempts to weaken opposition parties through the judiciary, following a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as its presidential candidate.
The opposition party described the judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, as an attempt to undermine Nigerians’ democratic rights and restrict their choice of candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that the timing of the judgment, barely 24 hours after its presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State, raised questions about the intentions behind the court’s decision.
The party said the rally, which attracted a large number of supporters, demonstrated growing public interest in its political platform and campaign promise of making life more affordable.
It alleged that the judgment was already in the making before the Sokoto rally and that the event merely accelerated its delivery.
“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 expressed concern that the ruling could affect not only Atiku and Mark but also thousands of its members seeking elective positions across the country.
“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,” the party stated.
The party described the judgment as legally indefensible and vowed to challenge it through all available judicial channels.
To support its position, the ADC referred to an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court on July 2, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
According to the party, 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.
The ADC argued that a court of coordinate jurisdiction could not review, vary or nullify a subsisting judgment delivered by another court of equal jurisdiction.
“Our objection is particularly anchored on the subsisting judgment of Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, delivered on 2 July 2026 in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, which affirmed the legitimacy of the David Mark-led NWC and directed INEC to recognise the leadership,” the statement added.
However, the party disclosed that it was awaiting the Certified True Copy (CTC) of Thursday’s judgment to establish its precise terms, scope and legal implications.
It said it would determine its next legal steps after reviewing the court’s full decision.
The opposition party also accused the APC of attempting to use judicial processes to frustrate opposition parties whenever they gained political momentum, warning that such actions could undermine public confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.
“We have seen this script before. When they are scared that the opposition is gathering steam, they use their judges in the courts to influence legally indefensible judgments,” it alleged.
The ADC further cautioned the ruling party against actions capable of threatening national peace and stability, insisting that political ambition should not take precedence over democratic principles.
“We warn the APC: do not play with fires you cannot control. 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,” the statement said.
The party maintained that Nigeria belonged to its citizens rather than any political organisation and challenged President Bola Tinubu and the APC to subject themselves to a free and fair electoral contest in 2027.
It questioned why the ruling party should be concerned about opposition competition if it remained confident in its performance and popularity among Nigerians.
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