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Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Hundreds of youths of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday staged a protest in Abuja, demanding the removal of a Federal High Court Judge, Justice Peter Odo Lifu, over a ruling ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party and four others.

The protesters, led by the ADC National Youth Leader, Hon. Balarabe Rufai, marched from the party’s national secretariat in Wuse 2 to the Federal High Court in Maitama, chanting, “Justice Lifu must go.”

They carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Judiciary is not for sale’. ‘Save our democracy now. Don’t force Nigerians into chaos. ’ And ‘No to one-party state’.

The demonstrators insisted that the ADC must remain on the ballot ahead of the 2027 general election and vowed to continue their protest until the Judge is removed.

“No ADC, no election,” the protesters chanted.

Speaking with journalists during the protest, Rufai called on former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Goodluck Jonathan and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, to intervene, alleging that the country is being pushed towards a one-party state.

“With the way our judiciary is going in the hands of people like Justice Lifu, Nigerians will lose hope. And when people lose hope in the judiciary, there will be hopelessness. We are Nigerian youths. This is our country, and we do not want chaos,” he said.

Rufai also urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene in the matter.

He said: “We are calling on the Attorney-General of the Federation to call Justice Lifu to order and ensure he is removed. The judgment against the ADC is not honourable at all.”

The ADC youth leader further disclosed that the party had petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing Justice Lifu of continuing proceedings in the matter despite an order of the Court of Appeal staying further action on the case.

According to him, the party considers the Judge’s action a violation of judicial precedent and due process.

“The NJC has not acted on our petition. We have come here physically because what we are experiencing now is judicial banditry, and it must stop. When a judge proceeds after a higher court has stayed proceedings, that is judicial banditry. People like that should not be in the system,” Rufai added.

The ADC maintained that the court ruling threatens democratic participation and warned against any attempt to exclude the party from the 2027 electoral process.

The protest came amid growing political debates over party regulation and the role of the judiciary in Nigeria’s electoral system.