FHC’s Lifu Overrules FHC’s Lima, Voids 1,503 ADC Candidates; Who Will INEC Obey?

*Sacks David Mark-led exco 

*Atiku: It’s panic from Sokoto rally

Chuks Okocha, Alex Enumah, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

In a ruling that has shocked the whole country and put democracy in obvious danger, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, sacked the Senator David Mark-led Exco of African Democratic Congress (ADC), some 71 days to the presidential election.
By the ruling, Lifu effectively voided the candidacies of no fewer than 1,503 people, including the presidential candidate of ADC, Atiku Abubakar, for the sake of one man, Nafiu Bala Gombe.

Interestingly, on July 2, 2026, Hon. Justice Musa S. Liman also of the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja delivered a judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 (Hon. Leke Joseph Abejide v. African Democratic Congress & 4 Ors.) regarding the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Justice Lima had  dismissed the suit then, determining the court lacked jurisdiction over an internal party affair and that the plaintiff lacked standing and failed to exhaust internal remedies of the party.

Justice Lima then directed INEC to recognize the party leadership and  engage with them, while awarding costs against the plaintiff.
Justice Lifu, by his judgment yesterday is effectively overruling Justice Lima’s (worthy of note is both Justices are of equal and coordinate jurisdiction) July judgment which declared David Mark led Exco as legitimate, valid and directed INEC to recognise it.
Four months after Justice Lima’s directive to INEC to recognise Mark-led Exco, Justice Lifu has declared that same Exco as existing in contravention of the party’s constitution.

Atiku in his immediate reaction, said the latest case raised serious legal concerns: “Why, after that judgment, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute?
Before Justice Lifu’s ruling, ADC had on its list 28 governorship candidates, 108 senatorial hopefuls, 352 House of Representatives standard bearers, and 1,015 Houses of Assembly picks for the 2027 general election.
However, with the Lifu ruling, especially against its timing, the fate of 1,503 people have been affected in the most egregious manner, leaving them in a quandary, and the entire nation in speculation over what might happen next as the country inches towards the 2027 elections.

The bigger question on the lips of the public is: which of these two conflicting judgments will INEC now comply with?
Lifu, in the judgement, held that the emergence of Mark as National Chairman of ADC as well as the other members of his executive violated the constitution and the guidelines of the party.
A former National Deputy Chairman of ADC, Gombe, had approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, to challenge the emergence of the Mark-led executive of ADC.

The plaintiff in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, claimed that following the resignation of former National Chairman of ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he (Gombe) was qualified to assume the party’s leadership.
He specifically prayed the court to restrain the Mark-led executive from parading themselves as leaders of the party, on the grounds that the process that produced them violated constitutional provisions as well as ADC’s guidelines.
Those sued included ADC, Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Nwosu, as first to fifth defendants, respectively.

However, the defendants asked the court to dismiss the suit for being incompetent and lacking merit, explaining that the suit as constituted fell within the internal matters of a political party, and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the court.
Delivering judgement in the matter, yesterday, Lifu disagreed with the defendants, holding that their emergence as executives of ADC did not follow the due process of the law.

The judge subsequently granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiff and declared as unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, all actions and decisions taken by the Mark-led executive on behalf of the party.
The ruling came with grave implications, as the congresses and convention that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates vying for elective offices both at the state and federal levels were conducted by the Mark-led national executive.

 Atiku: It’s Panic from Sokoto Rally

 Atiku condemned the court judgement that removed the Mark leadership of ADC, saying it is a panic response to Wednesday’s Sokoto rally by ADC, which attracted a massive crowd of supporters.
Describing it as a calculated attempt to weaken ADC and frustrate his candidacy, Atiku, in a statement by Director of Strategic Communication of ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, said the timing of the judgement was telling.

According to the statement, “It came barely a day after a mammoth crowd turned out in Sokoto to welcome him and attend the launch of the ADC campaign.
“The people of Sokoto came out in their thousands because they are hungry for change and believe in our promise to make life affordable again.
“What we witnessed in Sokoto is only the beginning. The people of Kebbi will have their say, and so will Nigerians across the country as our campaign moves forward.”

Atiku stated, “My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians. There is a difference between being from the north and being a candidate only for the north.
“Hunger and hardship do not respect regional boundaries. Nigerians across the country are suffering under this government, and they deserve a leader with a credible plan to make life affordable again.

“The timing of this judgement is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to weaken my support in the north and frustrate a campaign whose message is resonating across the country.
“But the ruling party’s greatest miscalculation is to assume that my support ends in the north. What we saw in Sokoto, what we will see in Kebbi and across the country, is the strength of a national movement.”

Atiku said the judgement also raised serious legal concerns, stressing, “Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court had already dismissed the challenge to the David Mark-led leadership in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
“The court upheld the defendants’ objections on jurisdiction, standing and the failure to exhaust internal party remedies, and resolved the substantive issues in their favour.

“Why, after that judgement, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute? This is a calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgement. We will challenge this judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal.”
Atiku urged ADC supporters to remain calm and law-abiding and not to let the judgement weaken the momentum generated in Sokoto, saying the campaign train is already in Kebbi and would continue across the country.

He stated, “Our journey to rescue Nigeria from the hardship imposed by the APC government is a long one. Our Affordable Life campaign will continue because Nigerians deserve relief from this crushing cost-of-living crisis.
“We urge our supporters to remain resolute, take our message from house to house and door to door, and stay peaceful and focused. There is no shaking.”

ADC: APC Wants to Set Nigeria on Fire

ADC described yesterday’s judgement by Lifu as another desperate attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians the right to choose their leaders in the forthcoming general election.
The party asked its members to remain calm as the court judgement would be appealed
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC said the timing of the judgement, barely 24 hours after the massive turnout at the ADC presidential campaign rally in Sokoto, exposed the growing desperation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abdullahi stated, “We have reasons to believe that the judgement had long been written on this case. The Sokoto rally was simply a trigger that stampeded its delivery.
“Yesterday, Nigerians came out in their hundreds of thousands to demonstrate their support for the ADC and our promise of making life affordable for them.

“Today, they are being told that the party that they support and the candidates that they have supported at all levels could be erased by the stroke of a reckless judicial pen.”
ADC questioned whether those behind what it called a flawed judgement had considered its far-reaching implications for the country, warning that the attempt to invalidate the party’s leadership could affect thousands of candidates contesting elections at the local, state and federal levels.

Abdullahi stated, “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.”

ADC maintained that the judgement was legally indefensible and would be challenged through every available judicial process.
It explained, “Our objection is particularly anchored on the subsisting judgement 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.

‘’It is a settled principle of Nigerian jurisprudence that a court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot sit on appeal over, review, vary or nullify the subsisting judgement of another court of equal jurisdiction.
“The ADC, therefore, rejects any consequential orders founded on a determination that appears to disregard these fundamental legal principles. However, we await the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the said judgement to ascertain its precise terms, scope, and operative orders.

“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 judgements.
“But the millions of Nigerians that are hungry and waiting for them at the ballot box see right through them and will not sit down in silence while our democracy is taken away by the courts.”

ADC warned APC against pursuing a dangerous attempt to eliminate political competition through judicial controversies.
Abdullahi told THISDAY last night that the party would file for stay of execution of the judgement and also file appeal to the Court of Appeal against it, while reassuring that efforts to frustrate ADC would continue to fail.

Kwankwasiyya: Democracy at Risk

 The Kwankwasiyya Movement expressed concern over the Federal High Court judgement, saying democracy is at risk.
In a statement by the spokesman of the group, Dr. Habeeb Mohammed, in Kano, it lamented the court ruling, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

The movement said while it recognised the constitutional authority of the judiciary to adjudicate disputes, persistent legal battles over opposition party leadership and candidate nominations were creating uncertainty for opposition parties ahead of 2027.
According to the statement, Nigeria’s democracy must be built on political pluralism, institutional independence, equal treatment before the law, and protection of citizens’ rights to associate and participate in the electoral process.

The Kwankwasiyya Movement acknowledged ADC’s intention to appeal the judgement and urged all parties to pursue legal remedies peacefully, allowing the appellate process to determine outstanding questions without intimidation or political interference.
It further warned that uncertainty around the ADC leadership and nominations should not lead to disenfranchisement of party members and millions of Nigerians expecting a competitive 2027 election.

The statement said, “Democracy cannot thrive where political competition is weakened by institutional uncertainty, selective application of the law or the perception that state institutions are being deployed for partisan advantage.
“Our democracy must be protected. Opposition voices must be respected. The rule of law must prevail.”

CD: Nigeria Drifting Towards Dictatorship

Campaign for Democracy (CD) warned that Nigeria risked sliding into dictatorship, describing the court ruling sacking the ADC leadership as a serious threat to opposition politics and democratic competition.
The organisation, in a statement, alleged that the judgement, coming barely 72 days before the January 16, 2027 general election, could effectively undermine the participation of opposition candidates and deny Nigerians the opportunity to make meaningful choices at the polls.

It expressed concern that the ruling, represented a dangerous development for Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
CD questioned the implications of a situation in which disputes involving opposition parties could have far-reaching consequences for their participation in an imminent general election.

The organisation queried, “Is this still democracy? Is this still a country where the people choose? Or have we now entered the season where presidents are selected in courtrooms and the ballot box is only for show?”
The group stated that the credibility of any government should be determined by its performance and its willingness to submit itself to the judgment of voters rather than by developments capable of weakening its political opponents.

It challenged President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC to allow Nigerians to assess his administration at the ballot box, insisting that electoral competition should not be compromised by controversies surrounding opposition parties.
It asked, “Why are you afraid of Atiku? Why are you afraid of the ADC? Why are you afraid of a free contest?”

Group Cautions Judiciary, APC Against Endangering Democracy Through Courts

A coalition of Atiku Abubakar friends under the auspices of United Friends of Atiku Abubakar cautioned the judiciary and APC against endangering democracy through the courts.
Addressing a press conference at the ADC national secretariat in Abuja, the national coordinator of the group, Alhaji Aliyu Audi, said they were moved by the court judgement by Lifu, despite a subsisting court order.

According to Audi, “We are of the belief that we are all witnessing a dangerous escalation of the absurd in our nation.
“We are issuing a stern and unequivocal warning: if this blatant institutional takeover by the incumbent administration continues, we can see that we are staring at the imminent breakdown of democracy in Nigeria.
“Our intervention today is not a declaration that political parties, leaders, or candidates are above the law, neither is it an argument that the judiciary has abdicated its responsibility to adjudicate disputes. Rather, it is a solemn declaration that the administration of justice is being weaponised to execute a political agenda.

“We must ask a fundamental, grave question:
What is the value of an election if the options available to the electorate can be sustainably predetermined before election day through engineered institutional and judicial controversies?”