David Mark's Grim Warning: Judiciary On Trial Over Party Deregistration

Senator David Mark, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has asserted that the Nigerian judiciary, rather than the ADC itself, is currently under scrutiny due to the contentious deregistration of his party and four others. Speaking at the ADC Strategic Communications Retreat in Abuja, Mark strongly criticised Justice Peter Lifu's handling of these matters, labelling the recent judicial actions as unprecedented and deeply concerning.

In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the former Senate President clarified that public perception was misguided, as the ADC was not the entity on trial. He stated, "The ADC is not on trial. Rather, it is the judiciary that is on trial and the nation is waiting to see how the National Judicial Council (NJC) is going to handle this precarious situation." Mark voiced his alarm over what he described as unusual judicial conduct, expressing disbelief that Justice Lifu, or any judge, would allegedly allow themselves to be used for a "hatchet job," including purportedly ignoring an order from the Court of Appeal to halt proceedings in the case.

Furthermore, Mark highlighted what he called contradictory orders issued by Justice Lifu. He alleged that the judge directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the ADC deregistered, and then, less than 24 hours later, proceeded to hear a related case involving Nafiu Gombe. Mark found this sequence of events "strange that a judge can order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pronounce a party dead and in less than 24 hours put the same party on trial."

Despite these developments, the ADC chairman encouraged party members to remain resolute, attributing the situation to alleged political manoeuvres orchestrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He assured members, "Like I have said previously, our members should not worry about the shenanigans of the ruling party. We will go through all this turbulence because we are up to the task. By the time we are through all these, ADC will come out stronger." Mark also accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration of attempting to divert the opposition, claiming the APC-led government was "sinking."

Addressing the participants at the retreat, Senator Mark tasked the party’s communication strategists with developing persuasive messages aimed at convincing members of the APC, including President Tinubu himself, to align with and support the ADC. The controversy stems from a recent Federal High Court order for the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties, which has ignited further debate on judicial independence and the health of Nigeria's democratic process.