Sh*ck Twist: Ex-Lawmakers Deny Ever Suing ADC — ‘We Dissociate Ourselves Completely

Former federal lawmakers have distanced themselves from a lawsuit seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), denying claims that they approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the party’s eligibility to remain registered.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) had earlier filed a suit—marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025—through its self-styled national coordinator, Raphael Igbokwe, alleging that the ADC failed to meet constitutional requirements, including securing 25 percent of votes in any state during the last presidential election or winning any seats during the August 2025 INEC bye-elections.

The suit asked the court to declare that the ADC no longer meets the constitutional and Electoral Act benchmarks and should therefore be deregistered.

However, a separate group identifying themselves as the Concerned Former Members of the National Assembly has issued a strongly worded statement repudiating the suit and condemning what they described as an attempt to misuse the name and reputation of former legislators for a “self-serving political agenda.”

They said it was “absurd and insulting” for a handful of individuals—whom they described as “late arrivals to the legislature”—to claim to represent a body of more than 5,000 former senators and representatives who have served since 1999.

They emphasized that the legislature is guided by hierarchy, tradition, and seniority, insisting that the so-called NFFL leadership was neither elected, endorsed, nor recognized by any legitimate gathering of former lawmakers.

The statement read in part:

“We completely dissociate ourselves from the lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court seeking the deregistration of the ADC.
We condemn the attempt to hijack the identity of former legislators for purposes that are neither transparent nor noble. These individuals do NOT represent us.”

The group insisted that no congress, assembly, vote, or formal authorization was ever given for such legal action, describing the suit as a clandestine initiative motivated by political patronage, financial interests, and the influence of powerful actors in Abuja.

They warned that the move forms part of a wider anti-democratic scheme aimed at shrinking Nigeria’s political space and pushing the country toward a de facto one-party system—an agenda they vowed to resist.

Calling on the judiciary to dismiss the suit, they labelled it frivolous, misleading, and a waste of the court’s time.

Reaffirming their stance, the lawmakers said they stand for:

• A strong multiparty democracy

• Respect for legislative hierarchy and institutions

• Protection of constitutional freedoms

• The survival of opposition parties

• A political system where elections—not courtroom manipulations—determine outcomes

“We reject this plot. We reject the impostors. And we reject any attempt to silence opposition voices,” the statement concluded.