By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, has welcomed Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment that sacked the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress ADC, declaring that “justice may be slow, but it is always sure!”
In the judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee as illegal and invalidated all actions taken on its behalf. These included the nomination of a former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Reacting to the outcome, Keyamo said the manner in which the party was taken over could not stand. “You cannot invade a political party owned and built by Nigerians and hijack it with the connivance of a so-called National Chairman without a prior meeting and approval of a mini National Convention or the National Executive Committee,” he said.
The minister added that those behind the takeover could not “bluff your way out of such a brazen act by blaming and blackmailing the ruling Party for a misfortune deliberately stocked by you.”
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, filed by the party’s former National Deputy Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe. He asked the court to nullify all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership, arguing that following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was qualified to take over the leadership of the party.
The defendants were the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Senator Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Nwosu. Gombe also asked the court to stop Senator Mark and Aregbesola from presenting themselves as National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, insisting that their emergence violated the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Justice Lifu upheld the plaintiff’s claims and granted his reliefs.
Keyamo insisted that the court acted on the law and not on public feeling. “Sorry, but the law is decided on facts and evidence, rather than sentiments and outrage by a group of people,” he said.
The ruling came barely 24 hours after Atiku held a rally in Sokoto State as part of his campaign for the January 16, 2027 presidential election. INEC had earlier published his name as a presidential candidate, and he has since picked a former Governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The ADC has said it will challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal. The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Mr Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, announced the decision to appeal.
Keyamo, however, dismissed the notion that the judgment endangers democracy. “It is not only when a certain Atiku Abubakar contests the presidency that democracy is not in danger. The ADC as a party is well and alive and populated by people and original leaders who are no less Nigerians than David Mark and his illegal band of marauders,” he added.
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