A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked the David Mark-led Caretaker Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and invalidated the nomination of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday, by Justice Peter Lifu, nullified all actions taken on behalf of the party by the Mark-led leadership, throwing the ADC’s presidential ticket into chaos just weeks before the election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The court further restrained Senator Mark and former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, from parading themselves as the National Chairman and Secretary of the party, respectively.
The verdict was the fallout of a lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, the aggrieved former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the party.
Gombe challenged the legality of the Caretaker Committee, which took over the reins of the party following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu.
The plaintiff maintained that his emergence violated both the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act, arguing that he was the rightful person to assume leadership. Justice Lifu found merit in Gombe’s suit, granting all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.
The ruling effectively voids the primary election that produced Atiku, whose name had already been published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, alongside his chosen running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The judicial upset comes barely 24 hours after Atiku held a massive campaign rally in Sokoto State to boost his presidential bid.
The ADC has firmly rejected the judgment and vowed to challenge the decision in a higher court.
Reacting to the verdict, the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, Mr. Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined as an interested party in the matter, confirmed that the party’s legal team is already moving to contest the ruling, stating that the verdict would be challenged at the appellate court.
