By Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi, reporting for Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Fresh questions have emerged over the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), following revelations that the tenure of Nafiu Bala Gombe, whom the court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise, had already expired before the ruling was delivered.
Justice Peter Lifu, in his November 5 judgment, ordered INEC to recognise Gombe as the only elected member of the party’s National Working Committee whose tenure remained valid.
However, details contained in the Certified True Copy of the judgment showed that Gombe was elected Deputy National Chairman on October 12, 2022, for a four-year term ending October 11, 2026.
The ruling was delivered on November 5, approximately 25 days after the stated expiration of his tenure.
The development has raised questions about the implications of the order for the party’s leadership structure, particularly as the court also invalidated the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as national officers.
Although Justice Lifu recognised Gombe’s claim to being the only elected member of the previous NWC who had not resigned, he declined to declare him the party’s substantive national chairman.
The judge explained that invalidating the process that produced Mark and Aregbesola did not automatically establish Gombe’s entitlement to a particular leadership position.
The court also rejected a purported resignation letter allegedly signed by Gombe, which the Mark-led leadership had relied upon to establish that he voluntarily relinquished his position.
Justice Lifu said his examination of the disputed signature against Gombe’s signatures on sworn court documents revealed material differences.
He consequently ruled that the letter could not be relied upon as evidence that Gombe had resigned.
However, the ADC rejected the finding, insisting that it possessed the original resignation letter bearing Gombe’s signature.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, maintained that the document was genuine and accused the trial judge of disregarding evidence.
He said the party would challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
The judgment also declared all decisions and actions taken by the Mark-led National Working Committee from July 29, 2025, null and void.
The sweeping order has raised questions about its implications for the presidential nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who emerged as the ADC’s candidate for the 2027 election.
Although Atiku was not expressly named in the final orders of the judgment, the invalidation of decisions taken by the disputed leadership has fuelled conflicting interpretations of its consequences for his candidacy.
Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye had on Wednesday insisted that Atiku’s name was not mentioned in the judgment, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress of spreading misleading claims about the former Vice-President’s political future.
Meanwhile, INEC said it would study the Certified True Copy of the judgment before deciding on the appropriate steps.
The commission’s National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, explained that its legal department would examine the ruling and make recommendations to the electoral body.
The controversy has further complicated the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the outcome of the party’s legal challenge expected to determine the next direction of its leadership dispute.