Aniefiok Christopher
Candidates of African Democratic Congress are in limbo following nullification of the leadership of its National Working Committee led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidation of the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
The candidates seeking elective positions into the offices of the President, National and State Assemblies are in a fix, though their party has rejected the Federal High Court judgment.
The party has vowed to challenge the judgment through every available judicial process, arguing that the ruling raised concerns about the political rights of its members and candidates ahead of the general elections.
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A statement by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in reacting to the issue on Thursday, queried the timing of the judgment, suggesting that it came amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 elections./ 1:01
Entitled: ‘Lifu Judgment: APC Wants to Set Nigeria on Fire’, the ADC said the ruling could affect thousands of its candidates seeking elective positions across the country.
It said, “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.”
The party maintained that the matter went beyond Atiku and Mark, arguing that the judgment had implications on the participation of its members in the electoral process.
“Do these people understand what they are playing with? 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,” it added.
The ADC also faulted the judgment, citing an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered on July 2, 2026, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
According to the party, the earlier judgment affirmed the legitimacy of the Mark-led National Working Committee and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise its leadership.
It argued that a court of coordinate jurisdiction could not review or overturn the decision of another court of equal jurisdiction.
The statement read, “Our objection is particularly anchored on the subsisting judgment of Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, delivered on 2 July 2026 in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, which affirmed the legitimacy of the David Mark-led NWC and directed INEC to recognise the leadership.
“It is a settled principle of Nigerian jurisprudence that a court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot sit on appeal over, review, vary or nullify the subsisting judgment of another court of equal jurisdiction.”
The party said it would not accept any consequential orders arising from what it described as a flawed determination.
“The ADC, therefore, rejects any consequential orders founded on a determination that appears to disregard these fundamental legal principles,” Abdullahi said.
The party, however, said it was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the latest judgment to establish its precise terms and the orders made by the court.
“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,” the statement added.
It further declared, “The ADC, therefore, rejects any consequential orders founded on a determination that appears to disregard these fundamental legal principles. However, we await the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the said judgment to ascertain its precise terms, scope and operative orders.”
The party urged the judiciary to uphold democratic principles and called on the ruling All Progressives Congress to allow political competition ahead of the next general elections.
“The peace and stability of Nigeria are bigger than the ambition of any president or political party. Nobody should be so desperate to retain power that they are prepared to put the entire country at risk.
“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?” it said.
The ADC, therefore, called on the judiciary not to allow itself to be used in undermining democratic processes, insisting that the dispute had implications beyond the party.
“This is not just about the ADC or Atiku Abubakar; it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good,” it said.
The party appealed to its members nationwide to remain calm and law-abiding while it pursued all legal means to address the situation.
Recall that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, November 5 nullified the leadership of the Mark-led ADC and invalidated decisions taken by the party under the leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
The judgment followed a suit filed by a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Justice Lifu held that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership violated the party’s constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The court also ordered INEC not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Counsel for the plaintiff, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said the ruling nullified all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership since July 2025.
Another counsel for the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), said the decision effectively left the party without candidates for the 2027 presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
