Court Judgment on ADC: Democracy is Not Instant Noodles, Leadership Cannot Be Assembled in Political Kitchen, Ajulo Tells Parties

Justice Peter O. Lifu’s November 5, 2026 ruling in the Ondo State has dealt a significant blow to political impunity, according to Dr Olukayode Ajulo, the Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. Ajulo, who heads the Legal Matters Committee of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, underscored that political parties must adhere to the Constitution and relevant electoral laws.

He emphasized that political parties are democratic entities, not private properties or personal possessions that can be exploited for individual gains. In a statement, Ajulo declared, "You cannot microwave democracy and democracy is not instant noodles!" The judgment, he argued, emphasized that political leadership should be achieved through lawful procedures rather than bypassing established protocols.

According to him, the Constitution and electoral laws provide clear guidelines for party elections, conventions, and the emergence of leadership, warning against any political figure considering themselves above the rules governing political institutions. Ajulo referred to several constitutional sections, including Section 223(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates periodic democratic elections of principal officers and executive committee members for political parties, and Section 40, which guarantees freedom of association.

He also cited Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which outlines statutory notice requirements for party conventions and meetings to elect executive officers, stressing these provisions as safeguards against arbitrary political succession and the usurpation of party structures by powerful individuals. Ajulo noted that the Supreme Court has consistently reinforced the obligation of political parties to abide by their constitutions and established rules, citing judicial decisions such as Onuoha v.

Okafor (1983), Amaechi v. INEC (2008), Lau v. PDP (2018), and Shinkafi v. Yari (2016) as authoritative sources underscoring the importance of adhering to party constitutions. He described "hurriedly assembling political structures, bypassing established procedures, and manufacturing legitimacy" as "microwave party politics," a threat to internal democracy.

Ajulo acknowledged the right of political parties to challenge judicial decisions, but cautioned against using this right as justification for disregarding constitutional standards of internal party governance. He stressed that the legal issues surrounding the decision deserved careful judicial consideration, but warned against abusing the right of appeal to bypass constitutional norms of internal party governance.

Ajulo emphasized that while the judiciary is a crucial pillar of democracy, judicial review should not be seen as an obstacle to democratic development but as a mechanism for safeguarding democratic institutions. He reiterated that his stance was not politically motivated, but fundamentally about respecting the law and constitutional order.

"This is not about being partisan; it’s about law. My message is simple: You cannot break the rules to build a political party and then invoke democracy to defend the breach," he said, urging a shift towards constitutional discipline, stressing that no individual or political structure should be above the Constitution.