CUPP, SDP, Obi kick as court voids Atiku’s ADC ticket, sacks Mark-led leadership

A fresh legal crisis has hit the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the party’s leadership under former Senate President David Mark and voided its candidates for the 2027 general elections, including the presidential ticket of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

The ruling, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and sacked the party’s national officers, including National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola.

The court also set aside the candidates presented by the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 elections, raising fresh concerns over the ADC’s participation in the polls.

The judgement came less than 24 hours after Atiku addressed a political rally in Sokoto, triggering reactions from opposition leaders, political parties and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The suit was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC in the North-East, who argued that he was entitled to assume the party’s leadership following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.

Justice Lifu directed INEC not to recognise resolutions reached at the ADC’s National Executive Committee meeting of July 27, 2025, or subsequent decisions, including the nomination of candidates for the 2027 elections.

Gombe’s lawyer, Lukman Fagbemi, SAN, said the party’s actions since the disputed meeting had been invalidated.

Another senior advocate, Luka Haruna, argued that the ruling had effectively left the ADC without candidates for elective positions, from the presidency to state assemblies.

Gombe, meanwhile, commended the court for handling the politically sensitive dispute without external influence.

Atiku, however, described the judgement as politically motivated, alleging that it was intended to weaken his presidential ambition and reflected growing panic within the camp of President Bola Tinubu and the APC.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president questioned the timing of the ruling, saying, “The timing of this judgment is no coincidence.”

Atiku also rejected suggestions that his presidential ambition was limited to the North, insisting that his candidacy was national in outlook.

“My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians,” he said.

He further questioned why another suit had been instituted to challenge the Mark-led leadership after Justice Musa Liman had dismissed an earlier challenge to the same leadership.

Atiku said he would appeal the judgement.

The ADC also condemned the ruling, describing it as an attempt to undermine the opposition and disrupt preparations for the 2027 elections.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that the judgement had been prepared long before Thursday and was triggered by Atiku’s Sokoto rally.

The party warned that the ruling could affect thousands of candidates seeking elective positions at local, state and federal levels.

“Do these people understand what they are playing with?” the ADC asked.

It also cited Justice Liman’s July 2 judgement, which affirmed the Mark-led leadership, and said it was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the latest ruling before deciding on further action.

The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, confirmed that the ADC would appeal the judgement.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, described the development as shocking and unsettling, expressing concern over what he characterised as increasing interference in the affairs of opposition parties.

Obi said he did not challenge the court’s ruling but alleged that the instability within the ADC was engineered by the ruling party, drawing parallels with the crisis that affected his former party, the Labour Party.

He argued that electoral decisions should be determined by the electorate rather than the judiciary.

“It is voters and not courts that choose leaders,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor also urged Nigerians to protect the country’s democracy, particularly amid the spread of military rule across West Africa.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) also declared solidarity with the ADC, accusing the APC-led government of using legal technicalities to weaken opposition candidates.

The coalition warned against what it described as the erosion of democratic gains, saying, “We will not sit idly by.”

The Social Democratic Party (SDP), meanwhile, called on the judiciary, security agencies and INEC to remain impartial in the handling of political disputes.

The party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Abuja, accusing the APC of attempting to infiltrate opposition parties.

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo defended the judicial process, urging Nigerians to evaluate court decisions based on evidence rather than public sentiment.

“Justice may be slow, but it is always SURE!” Keyamo wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Atiku’s campaign alleged that violence erupted during his movement through Kebbi State following the court judgement.

The former vice-president’s new media adviser, Royalty Uso, claimed that suspected APC-sponsored thugs blocked the campaign convoy, pelted vehicles with stones and destroyed cameras belonging to the media crew.

“The thugs did not come to steal. They came to destroy,” Uso wrote.

The allegation was made by Atiku’s campaign, while the APC’s response was not available at the time of filing this report.

The latest ruling is not the first time Justice Lifu has issued a controversial decision involving the ADC.

In June, the judge ordered INEC to deregister the ADC and four other political parties. The Court of Appeal subsequently stayed the judgement.

The ADC’s youth wing also petitioned for the judge’s removal following the earlier ruling.

The latest development is expected to trigger further legal battles, with Premium Times reporting that the dispute could eventually reach the Supreme Court ahead of the January 2027 general elections.

The Supreme Court had restored the Mark-led leadership in April but referred the substantive dispute back to the Federal High Court for determination.

The latest judgement has therefore created conflicting judicial positions on the ADC leadership, leaving INEC yet to publicly clarify which decision it would recognise.

Atiku continued his campaign activities in Kebbi State on Thursday despite the ruling, leaving the ADC facing uncertainty over its presidential candidacy and participation in the forthcoming elections.