A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ticket on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and removed the party’s entire national leadership led by David Mark. The judgment also wiped out all candidates the party submitted to INEC for the 2027 elections.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Thursday in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party for the North-East. The defendants were the ADC, INEC, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and former national chairman Ralph Nwosu.
The judge held that the Mark-led Caretaker Committee was illegal and had no authority to conduct the primary that produced Atiku. He sacked all national officers, including National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, and barred Mark and other caretaker members from presenting themselves as valid party leaders.
He also directed INEC not to recognise decisions of the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting of 27 July 2025 and all actions that followed, including candidate nominations.
Gombe’s lawyer, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said the party’s actions from 27 July to date “stand annulled.” Another senior lawyer, Luka Haruna (SAN), said the ruling leaves the ADC with no candidate for any elective post in 2027, from president to House of Assembly.
The ADC has rejected the judgment. In a statement, National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said: “We have reasons to believe that the judgement had long been written on this case.” The party alleged that Atiku’s campaign rally in Sokoto on Wednesday hastened the ruling, though it offered no evidence, and warned the APC: “do not play with fires you cannot control.”
ADC Welfare Secretary Nkemakolam Ukandu said the party will appeal. The ADC also pointed to a July judgment by Justice Musa Liman of the same court, which upheld the Mark-led leadership, arguing that a court of equal standing cannot nullify it.
The leadership dispute has been through the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which in April restored Mark’s leadership and sent the substantive case back to the Federal High Court. The matter is widely expected to return to the Supreme Court before the general elections begin.
The post 2027 Elections: Court Nullifies Atiku’s ADC Ticket, Sacks David Mark-Led Leadership And All Party Candidates appeared first on Information Nigeria.