The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has urged its members and candidates to continue political activities in spite of a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the party’s leadership.
The party’s National Legal Adviser, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
Osunbor said the party remained on solid legal ground and was confident of overcoming the latest judicial challenge.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday nullified the leadership of the ADC led by former Senate President, David Mark.
Justice Peter Lifu also invalidated decisions taken under Mark’s leadership, including the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate.
Other decisions affecting candidates for the 2027 general elections were also invalidated.
Osunbor argued that the judgment conflicted with three existing Federal High Court decisions which had upheld the Mark-led leadership.
He said the earlier judgments had not been appealed, adding that the ADC had sufficient legal grounds to challenge the latest ruling.
The legal adviser said the party was considering an appeal and an application for a stay of execution pending determination by the Court of Appeal.
He maintained that the judgment would not stop the party’s political activities or derail its preparations for the 2027 elections.
Osunbor urged members, aspirants and candidates not to panic over the status of their tickets or abandon their political engagements.
“We stand on solid ground. We know that we have survived other intrigues thrown our way, including other acts of mischief.
“They have not deterred us, and they will not deter us,” he said.
He alleged that the legal challenges were intended to discourage Nigerians from joining the party and weaken members’ morale.
Osunbor also accused the party’s opponents of seeking to disrupt its preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He, however, insisted that the alleged strategy would fail, saying the ADC’s growing political support had unsettled its opponents.
“We are confident that we are on the right path, and in the end, we will prevail.
“In the end, ADC will help to rescue this country, Nigeria, from the hands of those who appear not to mean well,” he said.
Osunbor said the party remained committed to providing Nigerians with an alternative political direction anchored on good governance and democracy.
He identified security and citizens’ welfare as central priorities, promising that the ADC would restore accountability and responsible governance.
The legal adviser also said the international community was being properly briefed on developments in Nigeria’s political environment.
He urged the United Nations to monitor the situation closely to prevent any breakdown of law and order that could require humanitarian assistance.
On electoral integrity, Osunbor called for an independent group of credible professionals to work with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
He said the proposal followed the discovery of artificial intelligence-generated photographs in the voters’ register.
The group, he said, should help sanitise the register and monitor INEC’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and Result Viewing Portal, IReV.
He said such oversight would strengthen public confidence in the electoral commission and the credibility of future elections.
Osunbor urged party members to draw confidence from the ADC’s legal position, insisting that the development should strengthen rather than weaken their determination.
Source: NAN
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