Members of the Forum of ADC Candidates in Nigeria have petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court over the judgment delivered on November 5, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 (Nafi’u Bala Gombe Vs. ADC & Ors).
The petition, dated November 10, 2026, and signed by Audu Aliyu on behalf of the forum, was also copied to the President of the Court of Appeal, Abuja; the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja; the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch; the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); and the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The petition was also submitted on Wednesday to the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the High Commissioner of the British High Commission, the Embassy of the United States of America, Abuja, and the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Abuja.
The forum said the judgment, delivered by Justice Peter O. Lifu, voided the emergence of Senator David Mark as National Chairman of the ADC and all actions taken by him, including the nomination of the party’s candidates for the 2027 general elections.
It said giving effect to the judgment while it remained open to challenge could remove candidates of a major opposition party, including its presidential candidate, from the ballot.
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The forum said it respected the courts but disagreed with the judgment, adding that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), guarantees the right of appeal to the Court of Appeal and requires court decisions to be delivered in writing and made available to parties.
It said its counsel formally applied for the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment immediately after it was delivered on November 5, 2026, and paid the prescribed fees. However, five days after the judgment, the CTC had yet to be released, while daily visits to the registry had produced no lawful explanation.
“We simply observe that a party cannot be asked to accept the consequences of a judgment while being denied the document it needs to challenge it. A right of appeal is only as real as the ability to exercise it,” it said.
The forum said it had petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and received information that political pressure was being mounted on INEC to implement the judgment immediately.
It said democracy was sustained not by elections alone but by confidence that rules applied equally, courts remained accessible to all and electoral contests were decided by voters. It warned that when citizens believed an election could be settled in a registry or courtroom before votes were cast, faith in democracy would erode.
The forum also cited Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to a fair hearing and the right to participate in public affairs, as well as the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the democratic norms of the African Union.
Within the bounds of diplomatic practice, the forum urged the missions to emphasise to the Nigerian Government the importance of due process, including the immediate release of the CTC and the full exercise of the right of appeal until final determination.
It also called on them to encourage the government not to take steps to implement the judgment in a manner that would exclude candidates or alter the ballot while appeals and applications for stay were pending.
The forum further urged the missions to encourage INEC to act with strict neutrality and transparency, call for restraint by security agencies and respect for the right to peaceful assembly, and keep the pre-election period under close diplomatic observation.
The forum and its support groups gathered peacefully at the Federal High Court premises in Abuja on November 11, 2026, to receive the CTC.
“We are committed to peace, to the rule of law and to the Nigerian people’s right to choose their leaders freely,” it said.
At the United Nations office, Prank Edede briefed a representative of the UN Resident Coordinator on the reasons behind the petition.
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