The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) says sentiments and online comments blaming the Presidency and President Bola Tinubu will not change the court’s decision to bar Atiku Abubakar from contesting as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate.
The party also said the people in question, who went to court, are all Nigerians who have the right to participate in the 2027 general elections.
This is contained in a statement by Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Chairman, Board of Trustees and Founder of the NNPP, on Monday.
Aniebonam said that rather than blame the Presidency for adverse court decisions against frontline opposition parties, Nigerians should closely examine the judgment and view it objectively.
Recall that the Federal High Court in Abuja on Nov. 5 nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, led by former Senate President David Mark, and invalidated all decisions taken by the party under its leadership, including the emergence of former vice-president Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
In his judgment, Justice Peter Lifu declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal, nullifying the process through which it conducted the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its flag bearer.
The court also nullified the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, as well as the appointments of other national officers and the nominations of candidates the party presented for the 2027 elections.
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, instituted by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
“I have followed with considerable interest the growing commentaries on the recent judgment of the Federal High Court. There is an unfortunate tendency in our public discourse to judge judicial decisions principally by their political consequences.
“When a judgment favours one political interest, the judge is praised for courage. When it produces an unfavourable outcome, the same judge may suddenly be portrayed as an instrument of an unseen political agenda.
That is not a sound basis for evaluating the administration of justice.
“A judgment having political consequences does not establish that it was politically procured. Equally, an outcome that affects the political fortunes of a prominent aspirant does not provide any material evidence that the Presidency engineered it.
“If there is evidence of executive interference or judicial compromise, it should be presented and subjected to appropriate scrutiny. But political suspicion must not be elevated into fact simply because respected commentators repeat it.
“There is a fundamental distinction between questioning the reasoning of a judgment and questioning the integrity of the judicial officer who delivered it. The former is legitimate legal criticism; the latter requires credible evidence,” Aniebonam stated.
He pointed out that rather than continuing to deliberate on sentiments, the Mark led ADC should continue with legal proceedings to the Supreme Court, or seek a stay of judgment on the matter, till the elections are over to enable them to participate.
“The NNPP had been in a long, drawn legal battle for years over leadership and never blamed the Presidency.
“We fought until INEC obeyed court orders and recognised our genuine leadership.
“In all political parties, some people will always feel aggrieved after internal primaries. The onus is on leadership to find ways to resolve their internal crisis and, if possible, avoid litigation.
“Once the matter goes to court, it can go either way. We must learn to remain broad-minded on these issues and not always look for the “fall guy”.
Aniebonam cautioned the media against using its space to publish inflammatory statements that might trigger negative reactions from Nigerians and the international community.
“We should try to limit the way we portray the nation, as it has so much affected us globally. Each judgment delivered in Nigeria has those it did not favour calling out the judiciary.”
The NNPP leader, however, urged Nigerian elites and compatriots to guard their utterances and ensure the unity and peace of the nation are prioritised above all else in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
“It is my hope that all concerned shall be more constructive in their utterances and discussions of issues rather than individual attacks,,” Aniebonam added.
