The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded the immediate release of Justice Peter Lifu’s judgment, alleging that its counsel has yet to receive a certified copy despite applying and paying the required fee.

The party said the judge had declared in open court that copies of the judgment were ready, yet the document remained inaccessible to the parties involved.

“If the judgment was ready, there is no excuse for keeping it from the parties. Release it now,” the party said in a statement signed by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

The ADC said its counsel for the first defendant filed a formal application for the certified true copy on 6 November 2026 and paid the assessed fee, while counsel for the third defendant applied a day earlier, on the day the judgment was delivered.

“Both applications carry the Federal High Court’s ‘PAID’ stamp. Every requirement was met. Yet the applicants are still being denied the judgment,” it said.

The party described the situation as more than a routine administrative delay, arguing that it amounted to a denial of access to a court decision that directly affects the rights of the parties.

“Justice Lifu declared the judgment ready; the applicants paid for its certified copy; the court has acknowledged payment. Why, then, are they still being kept in the dark? A judge cannot announce that a judgment is ready and leave litigants to chase the document they need to understand and challenge it,” it said.

The ADC said the judgment concerns the leadership of a major political party and the rights of its members, adding that withholding the certified copy prevents the affected parties from knowing the exact orders made and responding fully through the courts.

“If the ruling is sound, there is no justification for keeping it out of reach. The Federal High Court must release the judgment immediately and explain why paid applications have gone unanswered,” it said.

The party also disclosed that it had formally objected to Justice Lifu presiding over the matter, adding that its National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, had raised concerns about the judge’s impartiality.

According to the ADC, the concerns were based on previous appellate decisions which, in its view, called the judge’s competence and neutrality into question.

“Those concerns were placed on record. The unexplained withholding of the judgment now compounds them and demands answers,” the party said.

The ADC also questioned the timing of the judgment, noting that Justice Lifu delivered it days after the party launched its Sokoto campaign.

“The public is entitled to ask whether this was a judicial process or a calculated attempt to deliver a political blow while denying the party the document needed to challenge it,” it said.

The party demanded the immediate release of the certified judgment and a public explanation for the delay, warning that every day the document remained withheld further eroded public confidence in the judiciary.

“Those responsible must understand that the ADC will pursue every lawful remedy, place the full record before the appropriate authorities and ensure that Nigerians know what has happened,” it said.

“The ADC will not be intimidated or denied its right to challenge this ruling. Any attempt to obstruct that right will be met with every lawful action available, and those responsible will be held to account through the proper legal and institutional channels,” it added. (Nigerian Tribune)