…urge ADC candidates to stay focused, warns of dangers of conflicting court decisions
By Gloria Ikibah 
Former Edo State Governor and National Legal Adviser of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator Oserheimen Osunbor, has faulted the Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, describing it as contrary to three existing rulings by courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
Osunbor said the judgment was legally problematic, arguing that the court failed to consider previous judicial pronouncements on the leadership dispute within the opposition party.
His reaction followed Thursday’s ruling by Justice Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC and recognised Nafiu Bala Gombe’s position in the party’s leadership dispute.
The judgment has stirred controversy within the party, with the Mark-led National Working Committee maintaining that the ruling conflicts with earlier court decisions.
Osunbor warned that conflicting judgments could trigger serious political and constitutional complications. He recalled the political crisis surrounding the removal of Ernest Shonekan’s Interim National Government and the emergence of the late General Sani Abacha as Head of State.
The ADC legal adviser maintained that the party’s leadership structure remained on a solid legal foundation despite the latest ruling.
He argued that Justice Lifu ought to have considered the earlier judgments before delivering a decision he said contradicted them.
According to Osunbor, anyone dissatisfied with an existing judgment should appeal against it rather than seek a conflicting ruling from another judge of the same court.
He also defended the process that produced Mark as the party’s national chairman, saying the transition was conducted in accordance with the ADC constitution.
Osunbor urged the party’s candidates and members not to be distracted by the court ruling, but to remain focused on their political activities and preparations for the 2027 general elections.
He also called for preventive diplomatic engagement to avert political crises, rather than waiting for a breakdown of law and order before seeking international humanitarian assistance.
“We don’t want that. The help we want is to prevent crises from happening,” he said.
He urged those involved in Nigeria’s democratic process to allow the electoral system to function without interference, stressing that preventing conflict was preferable to having humanitarian organisations such as Doctors Without Borders come into the country to provide assistance.
Osunbor further alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was unsettled by the emergence of a strong opposition candidate capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
He said the timing of the judgment, coming shortly after the ADC’s presidential campaign activities in Sokoto, raised questions about the motives behind the legal challenge.
