A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has nullified the entire process that brought forward former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the upcoming 2027 general election.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, also struck down the selection of former Senate President David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and other figures as national officers of the party, according to Daily Post Nigeria.
The legal dispute stemmed from deep internal fractures over the leadership and candidate selection mechanisms within the ADC. Justice Lifu ruled against the legitimacy of the exercise, setting aside the actions that placed Atiku and the national officers at the helm of the political platform.
Reacting to the ruling, factional National Chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, praised the court for what he described as an independent and courageous decision. Speaking via a statement on Thursday, Bala commended the judge for anchoring the judgment in constitutional and statutory provisions rather than external political interests.
The judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 marks a major twist in the preparations for the 2027 race, leaving the political platform to navigate fresh legal and administrative hurdles ahead of campaign season.
