The hope of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to be on the ballot paper as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 elections has been stopped, as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has nullified the processes that produced his candidacy, citing the unlawful emergence of the party’s leadership that produced him.
In a judgement delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Odo Lifu also nullified the emergence of former Senate President David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and other officials as national officers of the opposition party and invalidated all actions they took on behalf of the party.
The court further cancelled the nominations of all ADC candidates for the 2027 general elections, ruling that they emerged through an illegal and unlawful party leadership structure.
The court found merit in a suit brought before it by the aggrieved former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe.
Gombe had approached the court to query the process through which the Senator Mark-led Committee took over the reins of leadership of the party.
He maintained that, with the resignation of the former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he (Gombe) was qualified to assume the party’s leadership.
The judge ruled that Mark, Aregbesola, and other officials had assumed their positions through unlawful processes, rendering their emergence invalid.
Consequently, the court declared all actions taken by the David Mark-led leadership in the name of the ADC unlawful and nullified them.
The ruling affects the party’s leadership structure, its candidate selection processes, and preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The court upheld the plaintiff’s claim and granted his reliefs, a verdict that could spark a chain of reactions in the polity, with the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The ADC has already vowed to appeal the judgment.
Reacting to the outcome of the case, the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was later joined as an interested party in the matter, said the verdict would be challenged at the appellate court.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
