BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

Tensions have escalated within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a protest by party members at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they demanded the immediate release of the certified judgment that invalidated the National Working Committee (NWC) led by former Senate President David Mark.

The protesters accused the court of frustrating the party's efforts to challenge the ruling, alleging that Justice Peter Lifu had failed to release the Certified True Copy (CTC) of his November 5 judgment despite repeated requests.

They called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene, warning that the delay could prevent the party from exercising its constitutional right to appeal before critical electoral deadlines.

Addressing journalists during Wednesday's demonstration, Yusuf Shehu Tijani, a former Acting Chairman of the ADC in the Federal Capital Territory, described the ruling as a sham and questioned why the court had yet to make the certified document available.

Tijani argued that without the official copy, the party could not effectively pursue its challenge at the Court of Appeal.

He also questioned the decision to nullify Mark's leadership, claiming that the Supreme Court had already affirmed his position as the party's National Chairman.

“Our reason for coming here today is what Justice Lifu is doing. He is holding on to the sham judgment he said he passed. He should send the CTC, so that we can get it and appeal the judgment,” Tijani said.

He insisted that the demonstration was aimed at compelling the judge to release the document and drawing the NJC's attention to what the protesters considered an unacceptable delay.

“This is not a jungle. This is a country that has laws, that has rules, and we have to follow the Constitution of the country,” he added.

The demonstration followed a formal complaint submitted on November 10 to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, by members of the ADC candidates' forum.

In the petition, signed by Audu Aliyu on behalf of the candidates, the group said its lawyers applied for the certified judgment immediately after the November 5 ruling and paid the required fees.

However, it alleged that the court registry had failed to release the document five days after the judgment, despite daily visits by its legal representatives.

The candidates maintained that their disagreement with the ruling should not prevent them from exercising their constitutional right to challenge it before a higher court.

“We disagree with the judgment. We have a constitutional right to appeal it. But we cannot appeal what we do not have,” the petition stated.

The group expressed particular concern that the delay could have wider political consequences, alleging that it had received credible information that the ruling All Progressives Congress was pressuring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to implement the judgment even though the ADC had yet to obtain its certified copy.

The petitioners argued that the situation raised serious constitutional questions, citing Section 294(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which deals with the delivery of written judgments and the provision of copies to parties involved in court proceedings.

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They also relied on Sections 241 and 242, which provide for appeals against decisions of the Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal.

According to the candidates, delaying access to the ruling until the relevant electoral timetable expires could render their right to appeal ineffective, regardless of the legal remedies available to them.

In one of the strongest statements contained in the petition, the group warned: “Democracy dies not by coup, but by Registry delay.”

They consequently asked the Chief Judge to direct the court registrar to release the certified judgment within 24 hours of receiving their complaint, setting November 11 as the deadline.

The candidates also informed the Chief Judge that ADC members, support groups and other concerned Nigerians would gather at the court premises by 10am on Wednesday to receive the document.

Although the gathering eventually took the form of a protest, the petitioners maintained that their objective was not to attack the judiciary but to secure access to the judgment so they could pursue their legal options.

The complaint was also copied to several judicial and security authorities, including the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the NJC, INEC Chairman, the Nigerian Bar Association's Abuja branch and the Inspector-General of Police.

The dispute stems from Justice Lifu's November 5 ruling, which nullified Mark's emergence as ADC National Chairman and invalidated decisions taken by the party under his leadership.

Among the affected decisions was the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

The judge also directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the ADC's 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, who argued that he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party's leadership following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu.

However, the ADC moved quickly to challenge the decision, filing a notice of appeal on November 6 alongside an application for a stay of execution.

The party also urged INEC to refrain from taking steps that could prejudice the outcome of the appeal while the legal dispute remained unresolved.

With the leadership battle now extending beyond the courtroom to the streets, the demand for the certified judgment has become another major flashpoint in the ADC's struggle to retain its leadership structure and prepare for the 2027 elections.