The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has dismissed allegations blaming President Bola Tinubu and the Presidency for the court judgment affecting Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 ADC presidential ambition, urging Nigerians to respect judicial processes and avoid politically motivated accusations.
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has described attempts to blame President Bola Tinubu and the Presidency for the court judgment affecting former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s political ambition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as unwarranted and inappropriate.
The party said political sentiments and online commentaries against the Presidency would not change judicial decisions, stressing that those who instituted the case were Nigerians with constitutional rights to participate in the 2027 general elections.
This position was contained in a statement issued on Monday by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, Founder and Chairman of the NNPP Board of Trustees.
Aniebonam urged Nigerians to examine the judgment objectively rather than attribute unfavourable court decisions against opposition parties to alleged interference by the Presidency.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on November 5, nullified the leadership of the ADC led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidated decisions taken under the party’s caretaker leadership.
In his judgment, Justice Peter Lifu declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal and nullified the process through which it conducted the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku Abubakar as its candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The court also invalidated the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, alongside the appointments of other national officers and the nominations of candidates presented by the party for the forthcoming elections.
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, filed 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.
Reacting to the controversy surrounding the ruling, Aniebonam said judicial decisions should be assessed based on their legal merits rather than their political consequences.
He argued that judges were often praised when their decisions favoured particular political interests but accused of serving hidden agendas when their rulings produced unfavourable outcomes.
According to him, the political implications of a judgment do not establish that it was procured, just as an unfavourable ruling against a prominent political aspirant does not constitute evidence of interference by the Presidency.
Aniebonam maintained that anyone alleging executive interference or judicial compromise should provide credible evidence rather than rely on political suspicion.
He said there was a clear distinction between criticising the legal reasoning behind a judgment and questioning the integrity of the judge who delivered it.
The NNPP leader advised the Mark-led ADC leadership to pursue available legal options, including appealing to the Supreme Court or seeking a stay of execution of the judgment, to protect its interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
He cited the NNPP’s prolonged legal battles over its internal leadership as an example, saying the party never blamed the Presidency despite facing years of litigation.
Aniebonam said the NNPP continued its legal struggle until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) complied with court orders and recognised what the party described as its legitimate leadership.
He further observed that disagreements among party members, particularly following internal primaries, were common in Nigerian politics and should be resolved through dialogue and effective party leadership where possible.
According to him, once political disputes are taken to court, parties must be prepared to accept different possible outcomes.
Aniebonam also cautioned media organisations against providing platforms for inflammatory statements capable of provoking negative reactions among Nigerians and damaging the country’s international image.
He noted that parties dissatisfied with judicial decisions often resorted to publicly attacking the judiciary, regardless of the legal issues involved.
The NNPP founder urged political leaders, members of the elite and other Nigerians to exercise restraint in their public statements and prioritise national unity and peace as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
He called for more constructive public discussions focused on issues rather than personal attacks against individuals and institutions.
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