The presidential ambition of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has been thrown into uncertainty after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the process that produced him as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the January 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), who challenged the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s national leaders.
Gombe argued that the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party violated the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. He also maintained that he was entitled to assume the party’s leadership following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
The court upheld the challenge and nullified the Mark-led leadership structure and the decisions taken under it, including the processes that produced candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The ruling therefore invalidated Atiku’s nomination as the ADC presidential candidate, despite his earlier emergence as the party’s flag bearer and the commencement of his campaign.
Atiku had also announced former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
Atiku described the ruling as an attempt to weaken the opposition and disrupt his presidential campaign.
In a statement issued through his campaign spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president said the timing of the judgment was questionable, coming shortly after the launch of his campaign in Sokoto.
He alleged that the ruling was part of a strategy to weaken his support in northern Nigeria, insisting that his candidacy was intended to appeal to voters across the country.
Atiku also challenged the legal basis of the decision, citing an earlier judgment by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, which he said had upheld the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
He maintained that the earlier decision had addressed the dispute over the party’s leadership and questioned why another case was instituted to reopen the matter.
The ADC Presidential Campaign Council said its legal team would challenge the latest judgment at the Court of Appeal and seek appropriate interim relief, including a stay of execution where applicable.
The council described the ruling as having no practical effect, arguing that it conflicted with an earlier decision of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.
The court decision has created another challenge for the ADC as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections.
The party has been positioning itself as a platform for opposition figures seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. Atiku, who served as vice-president from 1999 to 2007, was the runner-up in the 2023 presidential election.
He secured the ADC presidential ticket in May 2026, in what would have been his seventh attempt to become Nigeria’s president.
The latest ruling could complicate the party’s preparations, particularly its candidate nomination process, unless it is overturned or otherwise addressed through further legal proceedings.
The dispute also highlights the legal and organisational challenges confronting opposition parties seeking to build a united political platform ahead of the election.
The ADC has maintained that it will pursue an appeal, leaving the final status of Atiku’s candidacy subject to further judicial proceedings.
Leave a comment