Hon. Balarabe Rufai, the National Youth Leader for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), spearheaded a demonstration of hundreds of supporters at the Federal High Court in Maitama. The group expressed strong opposition to a ruling by Justice Peter Odo Lifu, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political groups.
Carrying placards with slogans such as “Judiciary is not for sale” and “No to a one-party state,” the demonstrators marched from their Wuse 2 secretariat to the courthouse. They demanded that the ADC remain eligible for the 2027 general elections, declaring that they would continue their protests until Justice Lifu is removed from the bench.
Addressing the press, Rufai urged prominent Nigerian leaders, including former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and former heads of state Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar, to intervene against the perceived threat of a one-party state. He warned that if citizens lose faith in the judiciary, the resulting desperation could lead to anarchy.
The ADC has submitted a formal petition to the National Judicial Commission (NJC), accusing Justice Lifu of professional misconduct. Specifically, they allege he issued a judgment while a stay of proceedings from the Court of Appeal was already in effect. Rufai characterized these actions as “judicial banditry” and emphasized that the party would remain on the streets until the NJC takes disciplinary action against the judge.
