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 was preventing affected parties from understanding the court’s decision and pursuing appropriate legal remedies.
In a statement on Monday, the council’s Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said lawyers representing the first and third defendants had applied for certified copies of the judgment.
He said both applications carried the court’s official ‘PAID’ stamp.
According to Shaibu, counsel to the third defendant submitted an application on November 5, 2026, the same day the judgment was delivered.
Counsel to the first defendant reportedly submitted a similar application on November 6.
The council expressed concern that the document had yet to be released 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 face unnecessary obstacles in obtaining documents needed to understand and challenge court decisions.
He said parties must have access to judgments to determine their next legal steps.
“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 campaign council said the matter went beyond an ordinary administrative dispute because it concerned the leadership of a major political party and the rights of its members.
It warned that withholding the judgment could undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
The council also revisited its earlier objections to Justice Lifu presiding over the case.
It said the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, had previously questioned the judge’s impartiality, citing what it described as concerns arising from previous appellate court decisions.
The council maintained that the continued delay had heightened those concerns.
It also questioned the timing of the judgment, alleging that its delivery days after the ADC campaign launch in Sokoto, followed by the delay in releasing the certified copy, had raised suspicions about 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 vowed to explore every lawful avenue to obtain the certified copy and challenge the ruling.
It also demanded an explanation for the delay and accountability from those responsible.