Youth wing of ADC calls for sacking of Justice Lifu amid registration controversy

n n

Hundreds of youths of the African Democratic Congress on Tuesday staged a protest in Abuja, demanding the removal of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court over what they described as his “highly controversial ruling” ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the party and four others.

n

The protesters, led by the National Youth Leader of the ADC, Balarabe Rufai, marched from the party’s national secretariat in Wuse II to the Federal High Court in Maitama, chanting, “Justice Lifu must go.”

n

They carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Judiciary is not for sale”, “Judiciary is our last hope,” “Don’t force Nigerians into chaos,” “Save our democracy now,” and “No to one-party state.”

n

The demonstrators vowed to sustain the protest until Justice Lifu was removed from office, insisting that the ADC must participate in the 2027 general elections.

n

Several of the protesters also chanted “No ADC, no election,” as they accused the judiciary of attempting to undermine Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.

n

Addressing journalists during the protest, Rufai called on former presidents and heads of state, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida and Goodluck Jonathan, to intervene in what he described as attempts to weaken the opposition and entrench a one-party state.

n

According to him, the direction the judiciary was taking under judges such as Lifu could erode public confidence in the courts.

n

Rufai said, “We are calling on the Attorney General of the Federation to call Justice Lifu to order. He should be removed.

n

“We are calling on the leaders we have across the country, especially the remaining former presidents and heads of state, to intervene urgently, because the way things are going, people are losing hope in the system.

n

“By the time people lose hope in the court, that should be our last hope; people will take the law into their own hands, and that is not honourable. We don’t want chaos, but the judgment against the ADC as delivered by Honourable Justice Lifu is not honourable at all.”

n

The ADC youth leader said the party had already petitioned the National Judicial Council against Justice Lifu, accusing him of proceeding with the matter despite what he described as a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal staying further proceedings.

n

According to Rufai, the petition accused the judge of disregarding judicial precedent and engaging in conduct amounting to gross misconduct.

n

When asked whether the NJC had responded to the petition, he said no action had been taken, adding that the protest became necessary because of the council’s silence.

n

“We are here to call for urgent intervention. We have not gotten a response from NJC. We have come here physically as young people of this country because what we are experiencing now is judicial banditry, and it must stop now.

n

“When you have got an order from a Federal High Court, and you decide to go ahead with whatever you have in mind as a judge, that’s judicial banditry.

n

“So, those kinds of people should not be in this system, and we are here calling for urgent intervention and the removal of Justice Lifu,” he added.

n

The protest comes amid growing political tension over litigation involving the ADC and recent legal proceedings challenging the party’s continued registration by INEC.

n

The NJC, constitutionally empowered to discipline judicial officers, had yet to publicly respond to the petition at the time of filing this report.

n

Justice Lifu has also not publicly commented on the allegations made against him by the ADC or its youth wing.

n n