African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected a Federal High Court judgment nullifying its leadership and the presidential candidacy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to undermine the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gatekeepers News reports that the party described the judgment as legally indefensible and warned that the development could threaten Nigeria’s democratic process and political stability.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it would challenge the ruling through every available judicial process.
The party questioned the timing of the judgment, which came barely 24 hours after a large crowd attended Atiku’s presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State on Wednesday.
It alleged that the ruling had been prepared earlier but that the Sokoto rally triggered its delivery.
The statement read, “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.”
The ADC also argued that the judgment went beyond Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark, warning that it could affect thousands of its candidates seeking elective positions at federal, state and local government levels.
The party maintained that an earlier judgment delivered on July 2, 2026, by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja had affirmed the legitimacy of the Mark-led National Working Committee and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the leadership.
It argued that a court of coordinate jurisdiction lacked the authority to overturn or vary a subsisting judgment delivered by another court of equal jurisdiction.
The party consequently rejected the consequential orders arising from Thursday’s judgment, saying it was awaiting a certified true copy of the ruling to establish its precise terms and implications.
Warning the ruling party against what it described as attempts to weaken the opposition through the judiciary, the ADC said, “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.”
It further accused the APC of allegedly influencing court decisions to frustrate political opponents, insisting that Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their leaders.
The party urged the judiciary to uphold democratic principles and called on its members nationwide to remain calm and law-abiding while it pursues legal options.
Meanwhile, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on Thursday nullified the leadership of the Mark-led ADC and invalidated decisions taken under it, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
The court’s decision also affected the nominations of other ADC candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku has separately condemned the judgment, describing it as a calculated attempt to weaken his political support in northern Nigeria and frustrate his presidential ambition.
The former Vice-President, however, has not exhausted his legal options as the ADC prepares to challenge the ruling at the appellate court.
