Confusion has hit the camp of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that voided the candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 presidential election.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu declared the caretaker leadership structure that produced Atiku and other party candidates illegal and unconstitutional.
Justice Lifu set aside all actions taken by the interim national executive, effectively nullifying the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.
The court held that the caretaker committee was formed in clear violation of both the ADC constitution and prevailing electoral guidelines. As a result, Justice Lifu voided all primary elections organized by the committee and invalidated the list of candidates forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The legal battle stems from a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, the ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East zone.
Gombe challenged the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, contending that proper constitutional processes were bypassed in installing the caretaker committee.
Upholding Gombe’s prayers, the court ruled that all actions, nominations, and candidate submissions authorized by the caretaker leadership were unlawful, leaving the party’s nominations for the 2027 general elections in legal jeopardy.
