Hundreds of members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday staged a protest in Abuja, calling for the removal of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court over a ruling they described as controversial.
Led by the party’s National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, the protesters marched from the ADC national secretariat in Wuse II to the Federal High Court in Maitama, demanding what they called judicial accountability.
Carrying placards with messages including “Judiciary is not for sale,” “Save our democracy now,” “No to one-party state,” and “Judiciary is our last hope,” the demonstrators vowed to continue their protests until Justice Lifu is removed from office.
The protesters also insisted that the ADC must be allowed to participate in the 2027 general elections, with many chanting slogans in support of the party and Nigeria’s multiparty democratic system.
Speaking during the protest, Rufai appealed to former Nigerian leaders, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida and Goodluck Jonathan, to intervene in what he described as attempts to weaken opposition parties and undermine democratic principles.
He expressed concern that public confidence in the judiciary could decline if controversial court decisions continue, warning that citizens must not lose faith in the judicial system.
Rufai also called on the Attorney General of the Federation to intervene, alleging that Justice Lifu proceeded with the matter despite what he claimed was an existing Court of Appeal order suspending further proceedings.
According to him, the ADC has already submitted a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing the judge of misconduct and failing to adhere to established judicial procedures.
He said the party had not received any response from the NJC, adding that the demonstration was organised to draw attention to the matter and demand urgent action.
The protest comes amid ongoing legal disputes involving the ADC and its status as a registered political party. As of the time of the protest, the National Judicial Council had not publicly responded to the petition filed by the party.
