Daud Olatunji
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of its David Mark-led caretaker committee and the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The opposition party described the judgment as an alleged attempt to weaken opposition forces, undermine Nigeria’s democracy and deny millions of Nigerians the opportunity to freely choose their leaders.
The party also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly exploiting the judiciary to frustrate opposition political activities, warning that actions capable of threatening the country’s peace and stability must be avoided.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had on Thursday nullified the ADC leadership structure led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidated decisions taken by its caretaker committee, including the nomination of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
The court ruled in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Bala had argued that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership after Nwosu’s resignation.
However, reacting to the judgment, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the ruling as a desperate attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians their democratic rights ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement, Abdullahi questioned the timing of the judgment, noting that it came barely 24 hours after what he described as a massive turnout at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State.
He alleged that the development exposed the desperation of the ruling APC over the growing political strength of the opposition.
“We have reasons to believe that the judgment had long been written on this case. The Sokoto rally was simply a trigger that stampeded its delivery,” he said.
The ADC spokesman said the judgment was particularly troubling because it came shortly after thousands of supporters had gathered to demonstrate their support for the party and its political promises.
He maintained that the ruling went beyond the political future of Atiku and Mark, arguing that it could affect the participation of several other candidates seeking elective positions under the party.
“Yesterday, Nigerians came out in their hundreds of thousands to demonstrate their support for the ADC and our promise of making life affordable for them. Today, they are being told that the party that they support and the candidates that they have supported at all levels could be erased by the stroke of a reckless judicial pen,” Abdullahi stated.
He added, “This is not about Atiku Abubakar or David Mark. It is about the democratic rights of Nigerians to freely choose their own leaders. It is about the rights of thousands of candidates to participate in a democratic process.”
The party described the judgment as legally indefensible and vowed to challenge it through every available judicial channel.
Abdullahi further alleged that the development was part of a recurring pattern in which opposition parties faced legal obstacles whenever they appeared to be gaining political momentum.
“We have seen this script before. When they are scared that the opposition is gathering steam, they use their judges in the courts to influence legally indefensible judgments,” he alleged.
He, however, expressed confidence that Nigerians dissatisfied with the prevailing economic situation would resist any attempt to undermine their political choices through the courts.
The ADC spokesman also issued a strong warning against what he described as dangerous political manoeuvres capable of destabilising the country.
We warn the APC: do not play with fires you cannot control. The peace and stability of Nigeria are bigger than the ambition of any president or political party,” he said.
He added that no political party or individual should be so desperate to retain power that the country’s stability would be put at risk.
Questioning the APC’s confidence in its electoral popularity, Abdullahi challenged President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party to submit themselves to a free and fair electoral contest rather than allegedly seeking to weaken opposition parties.
“Nigeria belongs to Nigerians, not to the APC. The presidency is not an inheritance. If the President thinks he has performed well in office, why is he afraid of competition? If the APC thinks that its policies and candidates are popular, why don’t they subject themselves to free and fair elections?” he queried.
Despite its strong criticism of the judgment, the ADC urged its members and supporters nationwide to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while the party pursues legal remedies.
The development is expected to deepen the political uncertainty surrounding the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly as the party seeks to consolidate its position as a major opposition platform.
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