NNPP warns against blaming Tinubu for Atiku, ADC’s court judgment

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership to challenge the recent court judgment affecting its leadership and 2027 electoral plans rather than blame President Bola Tinubu and the Presidency for the outcome.

The party said the ADC could approach the Supreme Court or seek a stay of execution of the judgment, warning against attributing unfavourable judicial decisions to alleged political interference without evidence.

The NNPP's position comes amid reactions to the November 5 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the ADC caretaker committee headed by former Senate President David Mark and invalidated decisions taken under its authority, including the process leading to the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

In a statement on Monday, the NNPP Board of Trustees Chairman and founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, cautioned Nigerians against allowing political sentiments and social media commentary to shape their interpretation of the judgment.
He argued that a court decision with political consequences did not automatically mean it had been procured by political interests.

Aniebonam said Nigerians often praised judges when their decisions favoured their interests but accused them of political bias when the outcomes went against them.
"If there is evidence of executive interference or judicial compromise, it should be presented and subjected to appropriate scrutiny.

But political suspicion must not be elevated into established fact simply because respected commentators repeat it," he said.
He added that there was a distinction between criticising the legal reasoning behind a judgment and questioning the integrity of the judge who delivered it.

"There is a fundamental distinction between questioning the reasoning of a judgment and questioning the integrity of the judicial officer who delivered it. The former is legitimate legal criticism; the latter requires credible evidence," he said.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on November 5 declared the Mark-led ADC Caretaker Committee illegal and nullified the process through which it conducted the party's presidential primary.

The court also invalidated the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party's National Secretary, alongside the appointments of other national officers and nominations of candidates presented by the party for the 2027 elections.

The judgment followed suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.

Aniebonam advised the affected ADC leaders to explore available legal options, including an appeal to the Supreme Court, to protect their political interests ahead of the elections.
He also suggested seeking a stay of execution of the judgment while pursuing the appeal.

The NNPP founder recalled that his party had experienced prolonged legal disputes over its leadership but did not accuse the Presidency of engineering the challenges.
According to him, the NNPP pursued its cases through the courts until the Independent National Electoral Commission complied with court orders and recognised what he described as the party's genuine leadership.

He said the experience should serve as a lesson to political parties facing internal disagreements, particularly disputes arising from primaries and leadership contests.
"In all political parties, some people will always feel aggrieved after internal primaries. The onus is on leadership to find ways to resolve their internal crisis and, if possible, stop the matter from litigation," he said.

"Once the matter goes to court, it can go either way. We must learn to remain broad-minded on these issues and not always look for the 'fall guy'," he added.
Aniebonam also criticised the tendency to blame the judiciary whenever its decisions went against particular political interests, warning that such reactions could undermine public confidence in the legal system.

He urged the media to avoid providing platforms for inflammatory statements capable of provoking tensions among Nigerians and attracting negative international attention.
"Each judgment delivered in Nigeria has those it did not favour calling out the judiciary," he said.

The NNPP leader called on political leaders, members of the elite and citizens to exercise restraint in their public comments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He stressed that national unity and peace should take priority over political disagreements, urging stakeholders to engage in constructive discussions rather than resort to personal attacks.