A Nigerian Federal High Court has nullified former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s nomination as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election, dealing a major setback to opposition efforts to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
The court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, also invalidated the leadership of the party’s national executive committee headed by former Senate President David Mark on Thursday, ruling that the committee was unlawfully constituted and had no authority to act on behalf of the party.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC deputy national chairman, who challenged the process through which Mark and his allies assumed control of the party after the resignation of its former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Gombe argued that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following Nwosu’s departure and asked the court to invalidate decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership.
The court upheld his claims, declaring the actions of the disputed leadership invalid, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the ADC’s candidate.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007, had already launched his presidential campaign and selected former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
The ADC has indicated that it will appeal the judgment, setting the stage for further legal battles over the party’s leadership and its preparations for the electio
