Opposition party says David Mark-led leadership is genuine, promises to contest Federal High Court judgement, calls on members to remain calm.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to subvert opposition parties through judicial interventions following a Federal High Court order that annulled the leadership of the Senator David Mark-led branch of the party.
The ADC characterised the ruling by Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja as a desperate attempt to cripple the opposition and deprive Nigerians the right to freely choose their leaders in the next general elections.
In a statement on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party queried why the judgement came just 24 hours after its presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State attracted a mammoth crowd.
The party said that the ruling APC had become more uncomfortable with the rising support for the ADC, especially after the turnout recorded at the Sokoto event.
Abdullahi claimed the judgement appeared to have been written long before it was delivered and suggested that the opposition party’s successful demonstration might have expedited the process.
“We have reasons to believe that this case has been judged for a long time. “The Sokoto rally was just a trigger that stampeded its delivery,” he said.
He said the move was an attempt to truncate the political choices of Nigerians and perhaps harm thousands of ADC candidates seeking elective posts in the country.
The party said the issue was not just about the political fortunes of former Vise President Atiku Abubakar and David Mark, but also about the democratic rights of Nigerians and the involvement of candidates in the electoral process.
The ADC further questioned the legality of the judgement by referring to an earlier judgement of July 2, 2026 delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
The party said the previous judgement had confirmed the legality of the National Working Committee headed by David Mark and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept the leadership.
It maintained that a court of coordination jurisdiction cannot sit on appeal on, review or annul a subsisting judgement delivered by another court of equal jurisdiction.
Therefore, the party rejected the so-called consequential orders that sprang from the recent judgement while stating that it was awaiting the Certified True Copy (CTC) to determine the exact terms and breadth of the court’s decision.
The ADC said it would explore all available judicial options to dispute the finding, arguing that the judgement was not tenable in law.
It further accused the APC of allegedly utilising court controversies to stifle opposition activities whenever it detected a growing danger to its political domination.
The party cautioned against what it termed as attempts to remove political competition, adding that Nigeria’s peace and stability should not be sacrificed on the altar of the political ambition of any individual or party.
“We warn the APC against playing with fires they cannot control. “The peace and stability of Nigeria is bigger than the ambition of any president or political party,” the statement stated.
The party also urged President Bola Tinubu and the APC to engage in a free and fair election fight if they were confident in their performance and popularity.
It called on the judiciary to reject any attempts to use the courts to undermine democratic institutions or to impose authoritarian rule on the country.
“This is not about the ADC or Atiku Abubakar alone, it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good,” the party said.
Meanwhile, the ADC has urged its members and supporters across the country to stay calm and law-abiding as its leadership explores all legal possibilities to challenge the judgement.
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