ADC campaign officials challenge Lifu judgment, cite earlier court ruling on David Mark leadership
MAIN POINTS:
*Lauretta Onochie shares July 2 judgment affirming legitimacy of ADC leadership
*Party spokesperson alleges judicial re-litigation of matter already decided by court of coordinate jurisdiction
*Lifu’s “controversial” ruling reminds of Tambuwal’s warning against repeat of June 12, 1993 Justice Ikpeme
By OUR REPORTER
It will be recalled that ADC chieftain, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, had, at the party’s national convention in Abuja, warned judicial officers to guard against the circumstances that led Justice Bassey Ikpeme into national and international disrepute, which, according to reports, followed him until his death.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (ADCPCC) has challenged the legal basis of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter O. Lifu (JP) of the Federal High Court, Abuja, citing an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which affirmed the legitimacy of the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party.
The development emerged as Lauretta Onochie, the Deputy Director-General, Technical and Systems Directorate of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council (ADCPCC), shared details of an earlier judgment delivered on July 2, 2026, by Justice Musa S. Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The judgment, delivered in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, arose from a case instituted by Hon. Leke Abejide and, according to the ADC’s account, affirmed the legitimacy of the leadership led by Senator David Mark.
The court reportedly upheld Senator Mark’s position as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola’s as National Secretary of the party.
It also upheld preliminary objections challenging its jurisdiction to entertain the suit, holding that Abejide had not established sufficient legal standing to institute the action.
Justice Liman further treated the dispute as one concerning the internal affairs of a political party, while the ADC said the judgment directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the David Mark-led National Working Committee.
Reacting to the judgment delivered by Justice Lifu, ADCPCC spokesperson, Dr. Uche Diala, questioned the propriety of reopening a matter he said had already been decided by a court of coordinate jurisdiction.
“Justice Lifu re-litigated a matter that had been ruled on by a court of coordinate jurisdiction.
“There are legal precedents.
“This judicial iskanchi will not stand.
“#EyesOnTheBall,” Diala declared.
The ADC campaign officials’ intervention suggests that the party intends to challenge the latest judicial pronouncement by drawing attention to the earlier ruling and the legal principles governing decisions of courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
The controversy is expected to keep the ADC leadership dispute in the spotlight as the party presses ahead with its political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It will be recalled that ADC chieftain, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, had, at the party’s national convention in Abuja, warned judicial officers to guard against the circumstances that led Justice Bassey Ikpeme into national and international disrepute, which, according to reports, followed him until his death.
Tambuwal, immediate past Governor of Sokoto State, had cautioned that no judicial officer or judge should allow the ineptitude of any manipulative political actor to rubbish his or her reputation, stressing that posterity would ultimately judge their actions and that their names and family integrity would remain at stake long after the events in question.
