“Atiku’s Name Is Nowhere In Lifu’s Judgment” — Melaye Insists Lifu’s Judgment Did Not Mention Former Vice President Or Any Candidate

Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has declared that the certified true copy of the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark contains no reference to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or any other presidential candidate.

Melaye made the disclosure on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, following the party’s receipt of the certified true copy of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 5, 2026.

The former lawmaker maintained that contrary to interpretations suggesting that the ruling had invalidated Atiku’s presidential candidacy ahead of the 2027 general elections, the judgment did not mention his name or that of any other candidate.

In a statement posted on his X account, Melaye said the party had obtained the certified judgment, bringing an end to concerns over its delayed release.

“We have just received the certified true copy of Justice Lifu’s judgement. Nowhere in the judgement is Atiku Abubakar’s name or any other candidate’s name mentioned,” he stated.

Melaye also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of spreading misleading interpretations of the judgment to undermine Atiku’s political ambition.

“All the propaganda and lies of APC have expired. Atiku Abubakar is coming,” he declared.

His comments followed controversy surrounding the November 5 judgment in the ADC leadership dispute, in which Justice Lifu set aside the resolutions of the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025.

The court held that the emergence of Mark and former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as national officers of the ADC had not been shown to comply with the democratic election requirements of Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

Justice Lifu consequently invalidated the resolutions through which the disputed leadership emerged and restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or dealing with Mark, Aregbesola and the other affected persons as national officers of the party.

The court also declared actions and decisions taken by the disputed leadership from July 29, 2025, null and void.

The decision generated controversy within the opposition party, particularly over its possible implications for political decisions taken under the affected leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Some interpretations of the judgment raised questions about Atiku’s presidential candidacy, although Melaye insisted that the written decision contained no specific reference to the former Vice President or any other candidate.

The distinction is important because the absence of a candidate’s name from a judgment does not necessarily determine whether orders affecting a party’s leadership may have consequences for decisions made under that leadership.

The ADC rejected the ruling and filed an appeal, according to the account of the developments surrounding the dispute.

However, the party subsequently complained that it had been unable to obtain the certified true copy of the judgment despite applications submitted by its lawyers and payment of the required fees.

The delay became another source of controversy, with opposition figures questioning why the written judgment had not been made available for the purpose of pursuing appellate proceedings.

On Tuesday, November 10, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi criticised the situation during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, alleging that Justice Lifu had become unavailable with the judgment.

“We can’t even see the judgment. He needs to hand over the judgment to us so that we can head to the Court of Appeal. He disappeared with the judgment,” Amaechi said.

Amaechi’s allegation followed complaints that the delay was affecting the party’s ability to proceed with its legal challenge.

Melaye’s announcement on Wednesday, however, confirmed that the party had received the certified true copy.

The former senator maintained that the judgment did not expressly determine Atiku’s candidacy, challenging suggestions that the ruling amounted to a direct judicial disqualification of the former Vice President.

The development comes amid continuing disagreement over the leadership of the ADC and the legal consequences of the Federal High Court’s decision.

While Melaye insists that Atiku was not mentioned in the judgment, the broader effect of the orders nullifying the disputed leadership’s decisions remains a separate legal issue.

The receipt of the certified true copy provides the party with the written decision needed to pursue its challenge before the appellate court.

The account did not include any fresh response from the APC to Melaye’s allegations.

It also did not establish that the Court of Appeal had overturned, suspended or otherwise varied the November 5 judgment.

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