By Wasila Yakubu
Supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have taken their demand for the release of a disputed court judgment to the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing the court registry of delaying access to the document they need to challenge the ruling.
The protesters, who gathered on Wednesday, want the Certified True Copy of the November 5 judgment that nullified the National Working Committee led by former Senate President David Mark.
They also called on the National Judicial Council to intervene, alleging that the delay in obtaining the document was obstructing their efforts to pursue an appeal.
A former acting chairman of the ADC in the Federal Capital Territory, Yusuf Shehu Tijani, criticised the situation, describing the ruling as unacceptable and insisting that the party's members must be given access to the judgment.
He argued that the Supreme Court had already affirmed Mark's leadership of the party and questioned the basis of the Federal High Court decision.
Tijani said the protesters wanted the certified judgment released so that the party could formally challenge the ruling before the Court of Appeal.
He urged the NJC to ensure that the court followed due process, stressing that access to judicial decisions was essential to the administration of justice.
The demonstration followed a petition dated November 10, submitted 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 group, the candidates alleged that their lawyers applied for the certified judgment immediately after it was delivered on November 5 and paid the required fees.
They claimed that five days later, the document had still not been made available despite repeated visits to the court registry.
The group maintained that it had a constitutional right to challenge the ruling but could not effectively pursue an appeal without obtaining the certified copy.
The petitioners also expressed concern over alleged pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission to implement the judgment, claiming that the ruling All Progressives Congress was pushing for such action while the ADC was still unable to secure the document.
They cited constitutional provisions governing the delivery of court decisions and appeals, arguing that the delay could undermine their right to seek a review of the judgment.
The candidates warned that withholding the document until relevant electoral deadlines had passed could make their right of appeal ineffective, particularly if INEC acted on the ruling before the appellate court considered the matter.
They consequently asked the Chief Judge to direct the court registrar to release the certified copy within 24 hours, setting November 11 as the requested deadline.
The petitioners had also informed the Chief Judge that ADC members, candidates and support groups planned to gather at the court premises by 10am on Wednesday to demand the document.
They insisted that the gathering was aimed at securing access to the judgment rather than challenging the authority of the judiciary.
The petition was also copied to the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the NJC, the INEC chairman, the Abuja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Inspector-General of Police.
The controversy stems from Justice Peter Lifu's November 5 ruling, which invalidated Mark's emergence as ADC national chairman and nullified decisions taken under his leadership.
The judgment also directed INEC not to recognise or act on resolutions reached at the party's 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025. The decision affected the process through which former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The case was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, who argued that he was entitled to take over the party's leadership following the resignation of former national chairman Ralph Nwosu.
The ADC has since filed a notice of appeal against the judgment on November 6 and applied for a stay of execution, asking INEC to refrain from taking steps that could undermine the outcome of the appeal.
The latest protest adds another layer to the party's leadership dispute, with the availability of the certified judgment emerging as a key issue in its efforts to secure appellate review.
Wasila Yakubu
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