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David Mark, Aregbesola tackle judge over continued hearing of suit against ‘dead’ ADC

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Senior lawyers on Tuesday tackled Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Federal High Court over his continued hearing of a suit against the David Mark leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, even after granting an order which proscribed the party on Monday.

The lawyers told the judge that having proscribed the party on Monday in his  judgment, the ADC in the eyes of the law was “dead” and cannot be resurrected by the same judge.

At the resumed hearing of a suit instituted by factional ADC national chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, Dr Suleiman Usman, SAN, who stood for David Mark, Realwan Okpanachi who represented Rauf Aregbesola, and Kalu Agu, counsel for Nkemakolam Ukandu, vehemently demanded to know the status of the party before proceeding in any suit against it.

Their demand was predicated on the judgment the same judge delivered on Monday, which expressly ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately de- register five political parties including ADC.

They claimed that having deregistered ADC on Monday, in the eyes of the law, the party is dead for now and there is nothing for the judge to adjudicate upon.

In the tension soaked arguments, the lawyers insisted that a simple clarification on the status of the party would determine whether they would pack their law books and leave or stay back to speak for their respective clients.

However, Justice Lifu requested to know if the lawyers have obtained the certified true copy of his judgment and digested same, which was answered in the negative.

The judge directed the lawyers to read the judgment first adding that the case of de-registration was quite different from the one challenging David Mark’s leadership.

Meanwhile, Justice Lifu on Tuesday refused to recuse himself from the ADC leadership dispute suit.

Delivering ruling in an application by David Mark and Raul Aregbesola to recuse himself from further presiding over the suit, Justice Lifu dismissed the application for being baseless and unmeritorious.

The judge held that the allegations of likelihood of bias, impartiality and prejudice raised against him by the two defendants were not supported with any cogent and verifiable evidence.

He said that the recusal application was part of the struggles to frustrate speedy hearing of the case as directed by the Supreme Court, adding that he would not succumb to blackmail, intimidation and harassment from any party appearing before him.

“No responsible court of records will dance to the whims and caprices of a litigant. No court must fall to cheap blackmail and intimidation.

“As for me, I can never be intimidated or harassed. A judge must be bold, courageous and firm. This is what I stand for. Court exists to do justice and not to do the bidding of any party,” he said.

Justice Lifu while dismissing the recusal application imposed a fine of N500,000, each, on David Mark and Aregbesola, to be paid to the plaintiff in the case, Nafiu Bala Gombe.

Meanwhile, the Judge has fixed June 23, 2026 for further hearing in the matter.




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Osun Accord will support Tinubu in 2027 — Gov Adeleke

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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has insisted that the Accord in the state will support President Bola Tinubu in 2027 because he is a son of Osun State.

Governor Adeleke made this known during the official launch of his re-election campaign and welcoming of over 10,000 defectors from the APC, ADC and other political parties as well as endorsement ceremony of over 200 groups/unions/associations at the Freedom Park, Osogbo on Tuesday.

DAILY POST reports that three former commissioners, a special adviser and other chieftains of the APC in Osun State were among individuals that defected to the Accord on Tuesday.

Prominent among the defectors are former commissioners for Youths and Sporty, Yemi Lawal, Political Affairs, Taiwo Akeju, Education Folorunso Oladoyin Bamisayemi, Special Adviser, Jamiu Olawumi, other special advisers and former House of Assembly members

Governor Adeleke while welcoming the decampees said the Accord is their party and also assured the new party members that they will win the governorship election on August 15.

He also outlined that his administration has uplifted the economy of the state according to the Debt Management Office and revealed that his campaign will be hinged on a five point agenda

He maintained that the party rejected violent adding that, “Osun must not go back to the dark age. Osun is the cradle of the Yoruba nation and by the grace of God tranquility must prevail.

“We reject violence. Go out and campaign for the party. Accord will be on the ballot. Be rest assured that we will vote and our votes will count on August 15.”




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Appeal Court nullified my election but I’m providing conducive environment for judiciary – Wike

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday disclosed that he ensured that judicial officers got conducive environment despite losing an election appeal at the Court of Appeal.

Wike disclosed that the Appeal Court nullified his election but he remains steadfast in providing a conducive environment for judicial officers.

He made the disclosure during the
commissioning of Judges Quarters (Court of Appeal) and Flag-Off Construction of Quarters for Industrial Court, Code of Conduct Tribunal by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu was represented by the commissioning by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.

However, Wike also noted that Federal Government can’t carry out all projects, hence states should be involved.

According to Wike: “Federal government can’t do everything, I challenge states, governors, if there is one division in state A and the governor knows that the Federal High Court is there, who are they rendering services to? They are not rendering services to state B but A.

“The Court of Appeal is there, whom are they rendering services to? It’s your state, the Industrial Court is there. When I was governor, we used to go to Bayelsa State for Industrial Court and 80 percent of the cases came from Rivers.

“So I said why are we going to Bayelsa, I met the then-President of Industrial Court, why do we go to Bayelsa and he said the state was not willing but I said ‘I’m willing, give me the designs and we built for them , provided accomodations for them and today our people no longer go to Bayelsa to have there cases.

“Justice Bulkachuwa was the president of the Court of Appeal and my election was nullified, so ordinary I will not agree to do anything but whose going to lose? My people in the state will lose.

“Look at the residences of the Justices, so I didn’t wait for the Federal Government, if I had waited for the Federal Government it would take a longer time. So I challenge states not to leave everything to the Federal government.”




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Deregistration: ‘More is coming’ – Oseni Rufai alleges plot to keep Obi, Atiku off 2027 ballot

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Arise Television anchor Rufai Oseni has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Mr Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.

Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of several political parties.

DAILY POST reported that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Accord Party, AP, Action People’s Party, APP, Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, and Action Alliance Party, AAP, over alleged constitutional breaches.

The judgment followed a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, NFFL, which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.

Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.

The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is associated with the ADC, and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.

But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.

According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.

Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.

He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.

He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.

Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.

“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.

“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.

“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.

“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.

“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.

“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.

“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.

“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”




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