The national youth wing of the African Democratic Congress has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties.
On Monday, a federal high court in Abuja ordered INEC to deregister the parties following a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The other affected parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
However, in a unanimous ruling on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Abba Mohammed held that Peter Lifu, a federal high court judge, acted in disregard of an earlier order of the appellate court when he proceeded to deliver the judgement.
The petition, dated June 18 and signed by Balarabe Rufai, ADC national youth leader, was addressed to the executive secretary of the NJC.
Speaking to journalists at the ADC national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, Ibrahim Wala, who represented Rufai, alleged that security operatives prevented members of the group from submitting the petition at the NJC headquarters.
Wala claimed that roads leading to the council’s premises were barricaded by heavily armed security personnel.
According to the petition, the ADC youths are also seeking the removal of Lifu from all matters relating to the party.
“We demand the immediate, total removal of Hon. Justice Peter Odo Lifu from any and all adjudicatory matters, reviews, or decision-making roles concerning the ADC,” the petition reads.
“Furthermore, given his pattern of flagrant judicial rascality, we explicitly demand that the National Judicial Council recommend his absolute dismissal from the Nigerian judiciary to preserve the fading credibility of the bench.
“Our democratic architecture is under a coordinated assault by compromised custodians of the law.
“Under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, Hon. Justice Peter Odo Lifu delivered a highly controversial ruling ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties.
“This judgment is not an honest legal error; it is a calculated, politically motivated act designed to shrink the democratic space in Nigeria and artificially consolidate a two-party monopoly.”
The ADC youths also accused the judge of proceeding with the matter despite what they described as a subsisting order of the court of appeal staying proceedings.
“Justice Lifu brazenly proceeded with this judgment despite a binding Court of Appeal order that explicitly stayed proceedings on this matter, a move that subverts the sacred doctrine of stare decisis and constitutes gross misconduct,” the petition reads.
“The bench looked away as the plaintiffs, the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, clandestinely altered their legal personality midway through the process without a valid court order.”
The youth wing claimed that repeated allegations against the judge had contributed to declining public confidence in the judiciary.
“While the NJC has previously dismissed certain claims due to standard procedural hurdles, the persistence of these identical accusations across multiple petitions—including those by the Chairman of the Boot Party—proves a systemic erosion of public trust,” the petition said.
The group said it would continue its protest until action is taken by the NJC.
“We cannot watch the political rights of millions of young Nigerians be auctioned off by compromised benches,” they said.
“The continuous involvement of Justice Lifu in ADC affairs completely destroys public trust and makes a mockery of fair hearing.
“As the protectors of our nation’s future, we declare that when the bench compromises its integrity, the youth will become the courtroom of public conscience. The ballot box belongs to us, and we will not allow any court to rob us of our political expression.”
The petition added that the ADC youth wing and youth representatives across the country would remain resolute until the council addresses their concerns.
“We will remain resolute in our protest until the Council acts to protect institutional integrity, enforces discipline, completely recuses this individual from our affairs, and begins the process for his immediate sack from the bench,” the petition added.
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