United Friends for Atiku (UFFA) staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday over the alleged delay in releasing the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment nullifying the Sen. David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The judgment also affected the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. UFFA members, protesting at the Federal High Court, called on the judiciary to uphold the rule of law and prevent the judicial system from being used to undermine opposition parties.
The protesters also visited the United Nations (UN) office to register their displeasure.
They gave authorities 24 hours to release the CTC and warned they would return with a stronger protest if their demands were not met.
Speaking at the Federal High Court, group coordinator Audu Aliyu stated that ADC would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
Aliyu said that while the party disagreed with the judgment, it remained committed to pursuing its grievances through lawful and constitutional means.
Aliyu alleged that despite repeated visits to the court registry, the document had not been released as of Tuesday.
He further alleged that pressure was being placed on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to act on a judgment not yet made available to the affected party. A judgment that has not been made available to the affected party be available to some people, to allegedly pressure INEC into taking action?” he queried.
The coordinator said the group had petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), requesting immediate release of the CTC to enable the party to exercise its constitutional right of appeal.
In a petition signed by Aliyu and shared with reporters, the group described the delay as a serious obstruction to its right to appeal and raised concerns about the fairness of the judicial process, arguing that the judgment nullified the Mark leadership and the party’s National Working Committee, as well as actions taken by the leadership, including the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
It also cited Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees the right to fair hearing.
The group argued that withholding the judgment from the affected party, while it was allegedly being used to influence INEC, could render the constitutional right of appeal meaningless. It can also be undermined through administrative delays and the denial of access to justice,” the petition stated.
The group urged the chief judge to direct the court registry to release the judgment immediately, address the delay, and ensure the rights of all parties are protected. The group urged the chief judge to direct the court registry to release the judgment immediately, address the delay, and ensure the rights of all parties are protected.
Aliyu stated that the petition was also sent to President Bola Tinubu, the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the President of the Court of Appeal, ECOWAS, the United Nations, the European Union, and the U.S. embassy said it would do everything possible to defend democracy and ensure the judiciary’s independence.
