By Samuel Solomon
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the plot to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
Media Adviser to the presidential candidate of the ADC, Paul Ibe, in a post on his X handle @omonlakiki on Wednesday, said any government that abhors opposition parties is intentionally creating room for chaos and anarchy.
“The morning after, it should be crystal clear to all Nigerians irrespective of party affiliations that Justice Peter Lifu is a threat to our Democracy. Apart from being saddled with the contrived cases against the ADC, he is also presiding over the cases of NDC and APM all aimed at deregistering the opposition parties. Any government that abhors opposition parties is intentionally creating room for chaos and anarchy. Like the Court of Appeal said yesterday, Justice Lifu is a misfit to the judiciary and is not qualified to sit at a beer parlour bench!,” the post read.
The post came after the former Vice President welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgment seeking the deregistration of the ADC,
Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
In a post on his personal X handle @atiku, the presidential candidate of the ADC said it was particularly significant that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) itself initiated the application for the stay.
He said the disturbing spectacle of judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings playing out in our courts had placed the judiciary under intense public scrutiny.
“As ADC National Chairman, Sen. David Mark, rightly observed, the judiciary itself is now on trial.
“Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice. The judiciary still has an opportunity to redeem itself by standing firmly on the side of the Constitution, the rule of law, and the Nigerian people,” the post read in part.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had on Monday, June 15, 2026 directed the INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
However, the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, June 16 granted a stay of execution of the judgment, temporarily preserving the registration status of the affected parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On Tuesday, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, said that the Nigerian judiciary, rather than the ADC, is currently on trial over the controversy surrounding the deregistration of the party and four others.
Speaking at the ADC Strategic Communications Retreat in Abuja, the former Senate President criticised the handling of matters relating to the party by Justice Peter Lifu, describing recent judicial actions as unprecedented.
According to Mark, contrary to public perception, the ADC is not the institution under scrutiny.
“The ADC is not on trial. Rather, it is the judiciary that is on trial and the nation is waiting to see how the National Judicial Council (NJC) is going to handle this precarious situation,” he said.
He expressed concern over what he described as unusual judicial conduct, saying it was inconceivable that Justice Lifu, or any judge for that matter, would permit himself to be used for what he termed a “hatchet job,” even to the extent of disregarding an order of the Court of Appeal to stay proceedings in the case.
Mark also faulted what he described as contradictory orders by Justice Lifu, alleging that the judge had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pronounce the ADC dead and, in less than 24 hours put the same party on trial in the Nafiu Gombe’s case which he sat upon today.
“It is strange that a judge can order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pronounce a party dead and in less than 24 hours put the same party on trial,” he said.
The ADC chairman, however, urged party members not to be discouraged by the development, which he attributed to alleged machinations by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Like I have said previously, our members should not worry about the shenanigans of the ruling party. We will go through all these turbulence because we are up to the task. By the time we are through all these, ADC will come out stronger,” he stated.
Mark, in a statement signed by his Special Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of attempting to distract the opposition, asserting that the APC government was “sinking.”
Addressing participants at the retreat, the former Senate President charged the party’s communication strategists to develop messages capable of persuading members of the APC including President Bola Tinubu himself to support the ADC.
