ADC finally gets certified copy of Justice Lifu’s judgment as members protest in Abuja

The African Democratic Congress says it has finally obtained the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment by Justice Peter Lifu that nullified the party's leadership, according to ThisDay and Leadership.

The party received the document on Wednesday, after days of waiting. Its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has directed his legal team to study the ruling and take necessary legal action, ThisDay reported. Candidates on the ADC platform in the 2027 general election were said to have adopted a diplomatic approach in the appeal against the judgment, which followed the judge's earlier refusal to release the copy.

In a statement, the ADC's Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Justice Lifu had released the duly authenticated copy "on the final day of the seven-day period prescribed by the constitution". He argued that this left the party with little time to study the judgment and prepare its next steps under Section 294(1) of the Constitution, which requires courts to furnish parties with authenticated copies within seven days of delivery. "The ADC will study the judgment and pursue every lawful remedy available," the statement said.

Earlier on Wednesday, ADC members and candidates staged a protest in Abuja over the delay. They held a banner reading "Forum of ADC candidates in Nigeria: calls for the immediate release of CTC of Justice Lifu's judgement on ADC", and extended their campaign to the National Judicial Council and to the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States and United Kingdom diplomatic missions, where they submitted petitions.

The protest followed the November 5 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the emergence of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and invalidated decisions taken under his leadership, including the process that produced candidates for the 2027 elections. A former Acting Chairman of the ADC in the Federal Capital Territory, Yusuf Shehu Tijani, called the judgment unacceptable and urged the NJC to look into the delay, saying the party needed the document to appeal.

The court has not commented on the party's account of the timing in the reports reviewed. Justice Lifu's judgment remains in force unless it is set aside on appeal or stayed, and the case turns on legal questions that the appellate court will have to decide.

The dispute matters because it touches the validity of the ADC's candidates for the 2027 elections. Both the party and its opponents will be watching what the legal team files next, and how quickly the appeal can be heard.