Court Sacks ADC, Atiku: Anxiety as Protest Rocks Abuja
- A Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment that could upend Atiku Abubakar's bid for the presidency on the ADC platform
- Justice Peter Lifu declared the Senator David Mark-led ADC Caretaker Committee illegal, casting doubt on all decisions the group made for the party
- The ruling followed a suit by former ADC National Deputy Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged how Senator Mark's group took control of the party
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A Federal High Court in Abuja has voided the presidential candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in a judgment that also struck down the authority of the party leadership that nominated him.
One week after the ruling, supporters of Atiku gathered outside the Federal High Court in Abuja to demand the release of a certified true copy of Justice Lifu's judgment.
Source: Twitter
Channels TV reported that Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Thursday, November 5, finding that the ADC Caretaker Committee led by Senator David Mark had no legal standing to act on behalf of the party. Because the committee's authority was invalid, every decision it made, including the primary election that produced Atiku as the party's 2027 presidential flag bearer, was declared illegal.
Why court sacked Atiku, ADC leaders
The case was brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, the former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC for the North-East zone. Gombe argued that when former National Chairman Chief Ralph Nwosu stepped down, the party's constitution entitled him to step into the leadership role. He asked the court to nullify all actions taken by the Senator Mark-led group and to bar both Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from holding themselves out as National Chairman and Secretary of the ADC, respectively.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Mark, Aregbesola, and Chief Nwosu as defendants. The court found merit in Gombe's position.
Atiku's name had previously been published by INEC as a presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, and he had already named former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate before Thursday's judgment.
Source: Twitter
Tinubu dismisses allegation of one-party state
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu commented on the recent allegation by some opposition politicians that he was working to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
Speaking at the APC national summit in Abuja on May 22, he maintained that people were joining his party because they were driving the aspirations of the people.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party had accused Tinubu of causing an opposition party crisis to stage his plan.
Source: Legit.ng
