Members and candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) staged a protest on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding the immediate release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment that nullified the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by former Senate President David Mark.
​The demonstration follows a judgment delivered on Thursday, November 5, 2026, by Justice Peter Lifu. The court set aside the leadership of David Mark, invalidated decisions taken under his tenure, including the processes tied to the 2027 presidential candidacy, and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise actions originating from the party’s July 27, 2025 National Executive Committee meeting. The suit was originally instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East).
​Gathered outside the court premises in Abuja on Wednesday morning, party members expressed frustration over what they described as an intentional delay by the court registry to issue the CTC needed to file a formal appeal.
​Speaking to reporters during the demonstration, Yusuf Shehu Tijani, a former Acting Chairman of the ADC in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), accused the trial judge of withholding the court order.
​”Our reason for coming here today is what Justice Lifu is doing. He is holding on to the sham judgment he said he passed. He should send the CTC so that we can get it and appeal the judgment,” Tijani said.
“So the protest is to call on the NJC to pressure this man, let him do what is right, because justice must prevail in Nigeria. This is not a jungle. This is a country that has laws, that has rules, and we have to follow the Constitution.”
​In addition to the physical protest, party representatives submitted formal petitions to the National Judicial Council (NJC) asking for intervention. Copies of the petition were also dispatched to international bodies and foreign missions in Abuja, including the United Nations, European Union, British High Commission, and the United States Embassy.
​The petition noted that despite filing a notice of appeal on November 6, 2026, alongside an application for a stay of execution, party lawyers visiting the court registry daily had been unable to secure the certified document.
The protesters warned that continued delay threatens their constitutionally guaranteed right to appeal within the statutory deadline.
