ADC Lawyer Says Court Ruling Didn't Affect Atiku's Candidacy

A lawyer for the African Democratic Congress, Kalu Kalu, has said that the Federal High Court ruling against the Senator David Mark-led group does not cancel former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

Kalu explained that Justice Peter Lifu's ruling did not directly invalidate Atiku’s nomination or the nominations of other candidates under the Mark-led leadership. He mentioned that some Nigerians are reading meanings into the ruling that are not in the actual orders.

He spoke during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, addressing worries about how the ruling affects the ADC’s role in the 2027 elections. "There is no portion of that judgment that voids the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar and the other candidates of the party," he stated.

Kalu stressed that the court did not issue any order that cancels Atiku’s nomination as the party’s presidential candidate. "The judgment of Honourable Justice Peter O. Lifu does not in any way void the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for the presidential election coming up on the 16th day of January 2027," he added.

The lawyer blamed misunderstandings on social media, saying people have assigned meanings to the court's decisions that are not stated in the judgment. "It’s just people, the social media we have in Nigeria, just imported what is not explicitly stated in that judgment," he said.

This issue arose after the November 5 ruling in a case filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC. Gombe challenged the formation of the Mark-led leadership that followed the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and other executives in July 2025.

Gombe argued that the vacancies from the resignations should have been filled through a democratic process as stated in the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

In his ruling, Lifu nullified the emergence of Mark and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively. The judge said all actions, decisions, and steps taken by Mark, Aregbesola, and other National Working Committee members from July 29, 2025, were null and void.

The court also stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing or dealing with Mark, Aregbesola, and other committee members as national officers of the party. It further directed INEC not to act on decisions made at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025, that allowed the Mark-led leadership to form.

Lifu ruled that the process for selecting the leadership did not meet the standards for democratic elections as stated in Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and violated both the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution.

Lifu also dismissed a resignation letter that the Mark-led faction claimed Gombe wrote to justify excluding him from leadership. The judge noted that comparing the signature on the disputed letter with Gombe’s sworn statements showed clear differences, making the document unreliable as proof of resignation.

Although the court recognized Gombe as the only elected member of the party’s National Working Committee with a valid four-year tenure, it did not declare him the substantive National Chairman.

The ruling has created confusion about the ADC’s leadership and candidates for the 2027 elections, especially Atiku, who was chosen as the party’s presidential candidate and later picked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.

This ruling came even after an earlier judgment on July 2, 2026, by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, which the Mark-led group used to defend their leadership.

The ADC argued that the two rulings contradict each other and that one court cannot overturn or review the decision of another court of equal status.

Atiku also rejected the November 5 ruling, calling it an attempt to weaken the opposition and thwart his presidential ambition. He promised to appeal the decision, insisting it would not stop his campaign for the 2027 elections.

The ADC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, also rejected the ruling, calling it politically motivated. He warned that the ruling's effects go beyond Atiku and the party’s leadership to many candidates nominated for elections.

The party has appealed the ruling and asked for a stay of execution. They urged INEC not to take any action that could affect the outcome of their legal challenge.

Meanwhile, INEC has said it will review the certified true copy of the ruling and seek legal advice before deciding on what to do next. The electoral body stressed that it will not take a stand on the issue without understanding the court's orders.

This dispute has worsened the ADC’s internal crisis as the party gets ready for the 2027 general elections. Competing factions are holding different views on the validity of the Mark-led leadership and the candidates produced from it.