ADC Petitions National Judicial Council, Demands Dismissal Of Justice Lifu

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has petitioned the National Judicial Council, NJC, seeking to stop Honourable Justice Peter Lifu from adjudicating matters relating to the party.

The ADC’s position is coming against the backdrop of Justice Lifu’s controversial ruling on Monday June 15, 2026, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to deregister five political parties, including the ADC over perceived failure to meet electoral performance requirements for political parties.

Barely 24 hours after the deregistration verdict, Justice Lifu; on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, declined to recuse himself from the case involving the leadership tussle between the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee NEC, and the party’s erstwhile Deputy National Chairman, Nafiu Bala-Gombe.

Ruling on the application filed by Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary on behalf of the Mark-led ADC NEC demanding his recusal, Justice Lifu held that there were no justifiable and cogent reasons for him to recuse himself from the matter.

Justice Lifu has since fixed June 23, 2026, date for the commencement of accelerated hearing of the motion on notice filed by Bala-Gombe challenging the emergence of Senator Mark and his ADC NEC.

But in a petition dated June 18, 2026, addressed to the Executive Secretary, National Judicial Council, NJC, and signed by its National Youth Leader Comrade Balarabe Rufai, the National Youth Wing of the party,demanded the removal of Justice Lifu” from any, and all adjudicatory matters, reviews, or decision-making roles concerning the ADC”

Addressing the media  at the ADC National Headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday, Comrade Ibrahim Garba Wala, who stood in for the National Youth Leader informed that following concerted efforts by the authorities to frustrate the presentation of the petition to the NJC, the party  decided to make the matter a public issue.

According to him, all the roads leading to, and from the NJC Abuja Headquarters were barricaded by hordes of stern-looking and heavily armed security personnel.

“We demand the immediate and total removal of Hon Justice Peter Odo Lifu from any, and all adjudicatory matters, reviews, or decision-making roles concerning the ADC.

” Furthermore, given what we perceive as a pattern of judicial misconduct, we demand that the National Judicial Council recommend his dismissal from the Judiciary in order to preserve the credibility of the bench” Rufai stated.