Prominent legal practitioners on Tuesday confronted Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Federal High Court regarding his decision to proceed with a case against the David Mark-led African Democratic Congress (ADC) after having issued an order on Monday that effectively dissolved the party. The lawyers argued that by deregistering the ADC the previous day, the party ceased to exist legally, making it impossible for the court to adjudicate on any matter involving it.
During the tense proceedings, Dr. Suleiman Usman, SAN, representing David Mark; Realwan Okpanachi, counsel for Rauf Aregbesola; and Kalu Agu, attorney for Nkemakolam Ukandu, insisted on a clarification of the party’s status before continuing. They maintained that a party already declared dead cannot be brought back to life by the same judicial officer. Their stance was based on the Monday ruling that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strike five political parties, including the ADC, from its register.
The lawyers emphasized that without a clear statement on whether the ADC was still a viable entity, they would either leave the courtroom or remain to represent their clients. However, Justice Lifu inquired whether the lawyers had obtained and reviewed the certified copy of his earlier judgment. Upon learning they had not, he instructed them to study the verdict, noting that the deregistration matter was distinct from the leadership dispute.
In a related development, Justice Lifu rejected a request by David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola for him to step down from the case. In his ruling, he described the recusal application as baseless and lacking merit, stating that the allegations of bias and prejudice were unsupported by credible evidence. He accused the defendants of attempting to delay the proceedings, which the Supreme Court had directed to be expedited, and vowed not to yield to intimidation or blackmail. The judge imposed a fine of N500,000 each on Mark and Aregbesola, payable to the plaintiff, Nafiu Bala Gombe. The next hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.