A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The court also invalidated the leadership of the party led by former Senate President David Mark and cancelled decisions taken under the caretaker committee.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Thursday, November 5, 2026, following a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC from the North-East.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee took over the party’s leadership.
Gombe argued that he was constitutionally entitled to take over as the party’s leader following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
He asked the court to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led leadership and stop Mark and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, from presenting themselves as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal, holding that its emergence violated the ADC constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The judge consequently nullified the committee’s decisions, including the emergence of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate and Aregbesola as National Secretary.
The court also invalidated the emergence of other national officers and all candidates nominated by the ADC for the 2027 elections.
It further directed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not recognise or act on decisions reached at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Speaking after the judgment, counsel to Gombe, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said all actions taken by the ADC from July 27, 2025, had been annulled.
Another lawyer representing the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), explained that the judgment had left the party without recognised candidates for the 2027 elections.
According to him, the ruling affects all elective positions, including the presidency, governorship, Senate and House of Representatives, as well as state Houses of Assembly.
However, the ADC National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who participated in the case as an interested party, said the party would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
The ruling came barely a day after Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by INEC as the ADC presidential candidate, attended a campaign rally in Sokoto State.
