Senator Garba Maidoki, who represents Kebbi South Senatorial District, has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing persistent internal crises and what he described as injustice within the party.

The lawmaker formally announced his defection in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read on the floor of the Senate on Monday by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary.

In the letter, Maidoki said the lingering crisis within the APC had forced him to seek a new political platform.

“I am writing to inform Your Excellency, the President of the Senate, and the distinguished colleagues of my defection from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the African Democratic Congress, ADC,” he stated.

Explaining the reason for his decision, the senator said the internal wrangling in the ruling party had become a major source of concern.

“My decision is based on the lingering internal crisis of the APC that has made my political inspiration a source of concern,” he said.

Maidoki expressed confidence that the ADC would provide a more suitable platform to advance the interests of his constituents and contribute meaningfully to national development.

“I believe that the ideas of the ADC are better for the benefit of my senatorial district and Nigeria at large,” he added.

The Kebbi South senator also accused the APC of abandoning the principles of justice, peace and unity, particularly during the recently concluded party primary elections in the state.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) has not exhibited its slogan as justice, peace, and unity, especially in Kebbi State during the just concluded primary elections,” he declared.

Reaffirming his commitment to his new political platform, Maidoki said:

“It is in this regard, therefore, that I wish to inform you of my defection to the African Democratic Congress, which I believe guarantees my political aspiration.”

The defection marks another political setback for the APC as the ADC continues to attract high-profile politicians ahead of future electoral contests.

Following the Court of Appeal’s decision to reverse the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress and four other parties on Monday, ADC National Chairman Senator David Mark stated the judiciary is on trial and warned the Federal Government against political manipulation.

Stakeholders also called for sanctions against Justice Peter Lifu for flouting a superior court order, as the ADC assures supporters they will remain on the ballot.

Political parties and stakeholders affected by the Federal High Court’s controversial deregistration order welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the judgment.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on Tuesday ordered a stay of execution of the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party, while delivering a stinging rebuke to Justice Lifu for flouting a May 22 appellate court order restraining him from delivering the ruling.

In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed condemned Justice Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for flouting a May 22 order that directed him to suspend proceedings before him, describing his conduct as the gravest form of judicial misconduct.

“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution,” the panel held.

The appellate court went further, invoking a Supreme Court precedent to characterise Justice Lifu’s conduct in the harshest terms.

“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is the highest form of judicial impertinence,” the panel declared, adding that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner “is unfit for the bench as it amounts to judicial rascality.”

The court said it had a duty to assert its supervisory authority over lower courts and protect the integrity of the judicial hierarchy.

“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This court has supervisory authority over the trial court. This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for stay of execution is hereby granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed,” the panel ruled.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Lifu, had on Monday ordered INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party, ruling that the five parties failed to meet the constitutional performance thresholds under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, specifically, requirements related to securing at least 25 per cent of votes in certain states or winning seats in the 2023 general elections.

Earlier in Tuesday’s proceedings, INEC told the appellate court it was stunned by Justice Lifu’s decision to deliver the judgment, disclosing that the commission only learned of the ruling through media reports rather than any official notification.

INEC’s lead counsel, Mr Haliru Mohammed, told the panel that the commission had been aware of the appellate court’s May 22 order restraining the lower court from delivering the judgment, which had originally been reserved for June 5.

“We were not aware of any notice from the court regarding the delivery of the judgment. We only saw it as breaking news in the media. We therefore do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgment,” Mohammed submitted.

The commission also aligned itself with the notice of appeal filed by the affected political parties.

Counsel to the ADC, Mr Shuaibu Aruwa, SAN, told the court that Justice Lifu communicated the judgment’s delivery to the party via WhatsApp, a disclosure that drew visible reactions from the bench.

Aruwa described the lower court’s conduct as an invitation to anarchy and urged the appellate court to invoke its disciplinary jurisdiction under Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution to sanction the judge.

“The action of the trial judge calls for swift and extraordinary measures from this court. We have come to the stage where this court should press the reset button.

“We urge this court to take disciplinary steps by immediately suspending that judgment. This court has the power to protect its own integrity. We pray this court suspends the judgment immediately without further delay,” he added.

APC reacts

Reacting to the appellate court’s decision,  the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ruling offered a measure of hope for the judiciary’s credibility, though he was careful not to celebrate unreservedly.

“It indicates that the judiciary may still redeem itself. We are cautiously delighted but we insist that it shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Abdullahi said in a telephone interview.

He called on the National Judicial Council to take urgent steps to rid the bench of judges whose conduct brought the institution into disrepute.

“We, therefore, hope that the judicial council will take urgent steps to purge the bench of judges who bring the judicial institution to disrepute,” he said.

The National Leader of the Action Peoples Party, Ikenga Ugochinyere, was more emphatic in his welcome of the ruling, describing it as a vindication of the party’s position from the outset and calling on the NJC to weed out what he termed controversial judges.

“There was no need to panic in the first place, and, so, this ruling is a vindication of our position from the get-go,” Ugochinyere said.