The African Democratic Congress, ADC, says it has filed a petition against Justice Lifu Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja over the now overturned judgment that deregistered the party.

ADC lawyer, Alex Adum, made the disclosure on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’.

He was reacting to the Appeal Court judgment which voided and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court that ordered the de-registration of the ADC, Accord Party and three others.

The lawyer described Justice Lifu’s judgment as perverse and a judicial overreach.

Adum added that the appellate court stressed that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing, highlighting a failure of judicial discipline and hierarchy.

According to him: “The ADC has filed a petition against Justice Lifu. The Court of Appeal judgment on the ADC’s validity is a return to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and multiparty democracy in Nigeria.

“We are pleased that the Court of Appeal has made profound pronouncements on the decision to deregister five political parties, which it ruled lacked merit.

“It was also strange that, despite all the evidence before him, Justice Lifu still went ahead to deliver that perverse judgment at the Federal High Court, which was an overreach.

“Several justices at the Federal High Court are fond of doing what Justice Lifu has been doing. And so, for me, my takeaway is that with the decision of the Court of Appeal yesterday, it’s now become incumbent on the National Judicial Council, NJC, to activate its disciplinary procedures to ensure that these kinds of justices are punished.”

Demola Olarenwaju, the Senior Political Assistant to African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday declared that the party has no hurdle in participating in the forthcoming 2027 election.

In an interview with News Central TV, Olarenwaju said the 2027 presidential election should be decided by Nigerians and not the courts.

“In a normal democratic setting, we don’t expect any hurdles to face, we believe that the path is cleared. When campaign starts, let’s go into the field and let Nigerians know what the candidates have and let them vote for whoever they want.

“The 2027 election should be decided by the ballot and not by the court. It should be decided on the fate of democracy and not by any judicial ruling or judgment and this is what we are proposing to Nigerians that let the rule of law prevail.

“If the ruling party believed that they have performed creditably well to win the next election, then they should allow others go to the field, let the contest play out and let Nigerians vote for whoever they want. If they defeat us that’s fine but if we defeat them, they need to own and say yes we have been defeated and voted out by Nigerians.

“So, we do not expect any further hurdles in anyway. However, I would like to say to Nigerians that ADC will be on the ballot and those who left the party before now in fear of judicial judgments that now is the right time to come back and let’s have a single opposition to face the ruling party because the ruling party.”

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has named the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Dr Nureni Adeniran, as his presidential campaign coordinator in the state.

A statement on Wednesday in Ibadan by Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Suleimon Olanrewaju, said that the SUBEB chairman would equally serve as the Director-General of the Governorship Campaign Council of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in Oyo State.

The APM has presented Mr Bimbo Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance under the administration of late ex-Governor Abiola Ajimobi, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

Other members of the council, the statement said, include Mr Saheed Arowosaye, a former Chairman, Oyo East LG, who will serve as the deputy coordinator, and the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Demola Ojo, who will serve as deputy D-G (South).

Olanrewaju said that Makinde, the APM presidential candidate, would inaugurate the council on Friday at the conference room of the governor’s office.