Deregistration: Judiciary is on trial — David Mark

National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has said that the Nigerian judiciary, rather than the ADC, is currently on trial over the controversy surrounding the deregistration of the party and four others.

Speaking on Tuesday at the ADC Strategic Communications Retreat in Abuja, the former Senate President criticised the handling of matters relating to the party by Justice Peter Lifu, describing recent judicial actions as unprecedented.

According to Mark, contrary to public perception, the ADC is not the institution under scrutiny.

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“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,” he said.

He expressed concern over what he described as unusual judicial conduct, saying it was inconceivable that Justice Lifu, or any judge for that matter, would permit himself to be used for what he termed a “hatchet job,” even to the extent of disregarding an order of the Court of Appeal to stay proceedings in the case.

Mark also faulted what he described as contradictory orders by Justice Lifu, alleging that the judge had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pronounce the ADC dead and, in less than 24 hours put the same party on trial in the Nafiu Gombe’s case which he sat upon today.

“It is 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,” he said.

The ADC chairman, however, urged party members not to be discouraged by the development, which he attributed to alleged machinations by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Like I have said previously, our members should not worry about the shenanigans of the ruling party. We will go through all these turbulence because we are up to the task. By the time we are through all these, ADC will come out stronger,” he stated.

Mark, in a statement signed by his Special Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of attempting to distract the opposition, asserting that the APC government was “sinking.”

Addressing participants at the retreat, the former Senate President charged the party’s communication strategists to develop messages capable of persuading members of the APC including President Bola Tinubu himself to support the ADC.

The Federal High Court had recently ordered the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties, a development that has triggered strong reactions from the affected parties and raised fresh debates over the independence of the judiciary and the nation’s democratic process.