A Federal High Court in Abuja has plunged the leading opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, into legal turmoil after invalidating the party’s leadership and voiding the process that nominated former Vice President Atiku as its 2027 presidential candidate.
Justice Peter Lifu ruled Thursday that the caretaker committee led by former Senate President David Mark assumed control of the party unlawfully.
The judgment nullified decisions taken by that leadership, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the ADC’s standard-bearer.
The case was brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, the party’s former National Deputy Chairman for the North-East.
He argued that, after former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu resigned, he was entitled under the ADC’s constitution to lead the party – not David Mark or former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, whom the court also removed from their national offices.
NewsQuest reports that the ruling strikes at the center of the ADC’s effort to mount a challenge in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
It also calls into question the party’s nomination of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as Atiku’s running mate, as well as nominations for other 2027 contests made under the disputed leadership.
Atiku’s name had already been published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) among candidates for the election.
The court’s decision now creates a potential conflict between the commission’s prior recognition of his candidacy and the judicial invalidation of the process that produced it.
The ADC has rejected the judgment and said it will appeal to the Court of Appeal, setting up a high-stakes legal fight with less than three months before the presidential vote.
For the opposition, the immediate challenge is to restore a legally recognized leadership structure and preserve its presidential ticket.
For the ruling party, the decision could deepen divisions within a coalition that had positioned the ADC as a vehicle for a unified challenge in 2027.
