Do Not Play With Fires You Cannot Control — ADC Warns APC After Court Sacks Mark, Voids Atiku Candidacy

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of using the judiciary to undermine opposition parties following Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which sacked the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party and threw former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential candidacy into uncertainty.

The ADC described the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu as a desperate attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians the right to choose their leaders in the forthcoming general elections.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party questioned the timing of the judgment, noting that it came barely 24 hours after a massive turnout at its presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State.

The party alleged that the ruling was intended to frustrate its growing political support ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We have reasons to believe that the judgment had long been written on this case. The Sokoto rally was simply a trigger that stampeded its delivery,” the statement said.

“Yesterday, Nigerians came out in their hundreds of thousands to demonstrate their support for the ADC and our promise of making life affordable for them. Today, they are being told that the party that they support and the candidates that they have supported at all levels could be erased by the stroke of a reckless judicial pen.”

The party said the judgment went beyond the political fortunes of Atiku and Mark, arguing that it could affect thousands of candidates seeking to contest elections at local, state and federal levels.

“Do these people understand what they are playing with? This is not about Atiku Abubakar or David Mark. It is about the democratic rights of Nigerians to freely choose their own leaders. It is about the rights of thousands of candidates to participate in a democratic process,” it added.

The ADC also questioned the legal basis of the judgment, citing an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, delivered on July 2, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.

According to the party, the earlier judgment affirmed the legitimacy of the David Mark-led National Working Committee, NWC, and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise the leadership.

It argued that Justice Lifu’s court could not overturn or vary a subsisting judgment delivered by another court of coordinate jurisdiction.

“Our objection is particularly anchored on the subsisting judgment of Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, delivered on 2 July 2026 in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, which affirmed the legitimacy of the David Mark-led NWC and directed INEC to recognise the leadership,” the statement said.

“It is a settled principle of Nigerian jurisprudence that a court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot sit on appeal over, review, vary or nullify the subsisting judgment of another court of equal jurisdiction.”

The party, however, said it was awaiting the Certified True Copy, CTC, of Thursday’s judgment to determine its precise terms and the scope of the orders made by the court.

“The ADC, therefore, rejects any consequential orders founded on a determination that appears to disregard these fundamental legal principles. However, we await the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the said judgment to ascertain its precise terms, scope and operative orders,” it said.

The party further accused the APC of exploiting judicial proceedings to weaken opposition forces whenever they gain political momentum.

“We have seen this script before. When they are scared that the opposition is gathering steam, they use their judges in the courts to influence legally indefensible judgments,” the statement said.

“But the millions of Nigerians that are hungry and waiting for them at the ballot box see right through them and will not sit down in silence while our democracy is taken away by the courts.”

The ADC also warned the ruling party against what it described as an attempt to eliminate political competition through judicial controversies, saying such actions could threaten national stability.

“We warn the APC: do not play with fires you cannot control. The peace and stability of Nigeria are bigger than the ambition of any president or political party. Nobody should be so desperate to retain power that they are prepared to put the entire country at risk,” the statement added.

The party challenged President Bola Tinubu and the APC to subject themselves to a free and fair electoral contest rather than allegedly attempting to undermine opposition parties.

“If the President thinks he has performed well in office, why is he afraid of competition? If the APC thinks that its policies and candidates are popular, why don’t they subject themselves to free and fair elections?” it asked.

The ADC vowed to challenge the judgment through all available judicial processes.