The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused the Federal High Court of delaying the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, despite payment for the document.
The council demanded the immediate release of the judgment, saying the delay had prevented affected parties from establishing the exact orders made by the court and exercising their right to seek appropriate legal remedies.
In a statement issued on Monday, the council’s Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said lawyers representing the first and third defendants had applied for certified true copies of the judgment, with both applications bearing the court’s official ‘PAID’ stamp.
According to Shaibu, counsel to the third defendant submitted an application on November 5, 2026, the same day Justice Lifu delivered the judgment, while counsel to the first defendant applied on November 6.
The council expressed concern that the court had yet to release the document despite the judge reportedly announcing in open court that copies of the judgment were ready.
“If the judgment was ready, there is no excuse for keeping it from the parties. Release it now,” the council demanded.
Shaibu described the delay as a denial of access to justice, arguing that litigants should not be subjected to unnecessary difficulties in obtaining court documents required to understand and challenge judicial decisions.
“A judge cannot announce that a judgment is ready and leave litigants to chase the document they need to understand and challenge it,” he said.
The ADC-PCC warned that the matter, which concerns the leadership of a major political party and the rights of its members, goes beyond an ordinary administrative dispute.
It argued that withholding the judgment could undermine public confidence in the judiciary, particularly when the affected parties need the document to determine their next legal steps.
The council also recalled its earlier objections to Justice Lifu presiding over the case, saying its National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, had previously questioned the judge’s impartiality.
According to the council, Aregbesola’s concerns were based on previous appellate court decisions which, it claimed, raised questions about the judge’s competence and neutrality.
It maintained that the continued delay in releasing the certified copy of the judgment had further heightened those concerns.
The council also questioned the timing of the judgment, alleging that its delivery days after the ADC’s campaign launch in Sokoto, followed by the delay in making the certified copy available, had raised suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the proceedings.
Shaibu said the circumstances had given the public reason to question whether the judicial process was being handled appropriately.
“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,” he said.
The ADC-PCC insisted that the affected parties must be allowed to exercise their constitutional rights without unnecessary obstacles, stressing that access to court judgments is essential to the administration of justice.
The council vowed to explore every lawful avenue to obtain the certified true copy and challenge the ruling, while demanding an explanation for the delay and accountability from those responsible.