The Forum of African Democratic Congress (ADC) Governorship Candidates in Nigeria has demanded an urgent judicial review of Justice Peter Lifu’s judgment, respect for judicial independence, an end to political interference, protection of ADC members’ rights, preservation of the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), international monitoring and guarantees of electoral competition.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday on behalf of the forum, the Governorship Candidate of the ADC in Kwara State, Zakari Mohammed, condemned the November 5, 2026 judgment delivered by Justice Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the ADC under Senator David Mark.
He described the judgment as a dangerous assault on multiparty democracy and a threat to Nigeria’s 2027 electoral process.
Mohammed said the judgment, which invalidated decisions taken under the David Mark-led leadership, had profound implications beyond the internal affairs of the ADC and raised fundamental questions about judicial consistency, political participation and the independence of democratic institutions.
“We consider the decision a grave assault on democratic freedoms and a development capable of destabilising the 2027 electoral process if its implications are not urgently addressed through lawful constitutional remedies,” he said.
He questioned what was happening to Nigeria’s democracy and whether the country was moving towards a political arrangement in which opposition parties were permitted to exist only at the pleasure of the ruling party.
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“The judgment delivered by Justice Lifu has created serious apprehension among ADC gubernatorial candidates, National Assembly candidates, party members and millions of Nigerians who believe in competitive democracy,” he said.
According to him, thousands of individuals had invested their resources, time and political commitment in preparing to contest elections under the ADC platform, and their aspirations could not be thrown into uncertainty.
Mohammed said the forum was also concerned about the relationship between the latest decision and the earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman on July 2, 2026, which recognised the legitimacy of the David Mark-led leadership.
He said the party had questioned how a court of coordinate jurisdiction could arrive at a decision with such far-reaching consequences in the face of an earlier judgment on the same leadership dispute.
“The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. Its authority rests not merely on the power to deliver judgments but also on public confidence in its impartiality, consistency and independence,” he added.
The forum urged the appellate courts to urgently examine the legal issues raised by the judgment and ensure that the principles governing judicial hierarchy, precedent and the administration of justice were upheld.
Mohammed said the forum was alarmed by what it perceived as an increasingly hostile political environment for opposition parties under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Nigeria is not a private estate belonging to President Tinubu, the APC or any political establishment. The Nigerian presidency is not hereditary. It is not a royal throne to be preserved through political manipulation,” he said.
He said Nigeria must not become a country where political competition was treated as an offence and opposition mobilisation regarded as a threat.
The forum rejected every attempt to create an electoral environment in which the ruling party became the only viable political option, adding that a democracy without a credible opposition was democracy in name only.
The governorship candidates also drew the attention of the international community to developments in Nigeria, calling on the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, Commonwealth, European Union, United States, United Kingdom and international election observation organisations to closely monitor developments surrounding opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We are not inviting foreign governments to dictate Nigeria’s political choices or interfere in the legitimate judicial process. Rather, we are asking the international community to uphold the democratic commitments Nigeria has voluntarily undertaken,” Mohammed said.
He cited the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protect political pluralism and the right to participate in public affairs.
The forum warned that 2027 must not become a predetermined election, noting that an election was not credible simply because voting took place, but must be preceded by an environment in which parties could organise and campaign freely.
“Our commitment to democracy is not negotiable. We encourage ADC members, candidates and supporters nationwide to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while the party pursues available legal remedies,” Mohammed said.
He added: “Nigeria must remain a democracy, not a political monarchy.”
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