By Divine Sam
Members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday staged a protest at the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged delay in releasing the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment that nullified the party’s National Working Committee led by former Senate President, David Mark.
The protesters accused the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, of failing to release the November 5 judgment despite an application by the party’s legal team and payment of the required fees. They said the delay was affecting their ability to challenge the ruling before the Court of Appeal.
The demonstration extended beyond the court premises, as the protesters also visited the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) and the embassies of the European Union (EU), United Kingdom and United States in Abuja, where they submitted petitions calling for international attention to what they described as a violation of due process and the right to appeal.
The letters, titled “Urgent Appeal for Diplomatic Attention and Support for Due Process, the Right of Appeal and Credible Elections in Nigeria – Re: Judgment Delivered on 5th November, 2026 in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 (Nafiu Bala Gombe Vs. ADC & Ors),” sought support for the protection of democratic principles and credible elections in Nigeria.
Speaking during the protest, a former Acting Chairman of the ADC in the Federal Capital Territory, Yusuf Shehu Tijani, faulted the judge for allegedly withholding the judgment and called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene.
“Our reason for coming here today is what Justice Lifu is doing. He is holding on to the sham judgment he said he passed. He should send the CTC, so that we can get it and appeal the judgment.
“Moreover, the Supreme Court already affirmed the leadership of Senator David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress. So why is the High Court going against that recognition, saying he’s passing a judgment?
“Now the judgment you passed, give us the Certified True Copy so that we can appeal. He is refusing to do that. That is why we are here,” Tijani said.
He maintained that the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the NJC to the alleged delay and ensuring that the court released the document to enable the party pursue its appeal.
“So the protest is to call on the NJC to pressure this man, let him do what is right, because justice must prevail in Nigeria. This is not a jungle. This is a country that has laws, that has rules, and we have to follow the Constitution of the country.
“The stated law is that he should send the CTC so that we can appeal the judgment, which is a sham judgment in the first place,” he added.
The protest came a day after members of the ADC candidates’ forum submitted a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, on November 10, demanding the immediate release of the judgment.
In the petition signed by Audu Aliyu on behalf of the candidates, the group said its lawyers applied for the certified copy immediately after the judgment was delivered on November 5 and paid the necessary fees. However, they alleged that repeated visits to the court registry had not yielded any result.
The candidates argued that the delay was threatening their constitutional right to appeal, particularly with election-related deadlines approaching.
“We disagree with the judgment. We have a constitutional right to appeal it. But we cannot appeal what we do not have.
“As at today, 10th November, 2026, five (5) days after judgment, the CTC has NOT been released to us. Our lawyers have visited the Registry daily to no avail without any lawful explanation,” the petition stated.
They further alleged that they had received credible information that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was mounting pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to implement the judgment despite the ADC’s inability to obtain its certified copy.
Referring to Sections 241 and 242 of the 1999 Constitution, which provide for appeals against decisions of the Federal High Court, and Section 294(1), the petitioners argued that the alleged withholding of the judgment could prevent them from accessing appellate justice.
They warned that the delay could make their constitutional right to appeal ineffective if the relevant election deadlines expired before the document was released.
“If a party can obtain a judgment against the opposition on Thursday, and the CTC is withheld until the election timetable closes, then the right of appeal becomes a mere illusion. Democracy dies not by coup, but by Registry delay.”
The group asked the Chief Judge to direct the Registrar to release the certified copy within 24 hours of receiving the petition, setting Wednesday, November 11, as the deadline.
They also informed the Chief Judge that ADC members, candidates and support groups would gather at the court premises by 10am on Wednesday to demand the document, clarifying that their action was not intended to undermine the judiciary but to secure access to the judgment.
The petition was copied to the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the NJC, the INEC Chairman, the Nigerian Bar Association’s Abuja branch and the Inspector-General of Police.
The November 5 judgment nullified Mark’s emergence as the ADC National Chairman and invalidated decisions taken by the party under his leadership, including the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Lifu also directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC representing the North-East, who claimed he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
In response to the judgment, the ADC filed a notice of appeal on November 6 and applied for a stay of execution, asking INEC to refrain from taking any action that could affect the outcome of the appeal.
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