The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded the immediate release of the certified true copy of a Federal High Court judgment that invalidated its leadership under former Senate President David Mark, saying the delay is hindering its legal response.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, challenging the legitimacy of the party’s leadership transition.
In a statement on Monday, November 9, the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, said lawyers representing the first and third defendants had applied for certified copies and paid the required fees but were yet to receive them.
He said the third defendant’s counsel applied on November 5, while the first defendant’s counsel submitted an application the following day. Both requests, he added, bore the court’s ‘PAID’ stamp.
Shaibu said the delay was particularly concerning because Justice Lifu had reportedly announced in open court that the judgment copies were ready. He stressed that the document was necessary for the affected parties to establish the precise orders made and pursue appropriate legal remedies.
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The ruling invalidated the Mark-led leadership and decisions taken under its authority, including the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election. It also affected the positions held by Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola.
The dispute follows a series of legal battles over the party’s leadership. On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court set aside an interim Court of Appeal order directing parties to maintain the status quo and ordered an expedited hearing of the substantive case. It did not determine who was entitled to lead the ADC.
In a separate case, Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed a suit by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide challenging the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders on July 2, 2026.
Shaibu also recalled Aregbesola’s objection to Justice Lifu presiding over the case, citing concerns about the judge’s impartiality based on previous appellate decisions. He questioned the timing of the judgment, delivered a day after the ADC’s presidential campaign launch in Sokoto, but provided no evidence linking the two events.
The party said it would pursue all lawful remedies. It announced on November 6 that it had appealed the judgment and sought a stay of execution, while notifying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the appeal and urging it to refrain from implementing consequential changes pending its determination.
The leadership dispute continues to threaten the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 general election.