2027: Court judgment against Atiku, others academic exercise – ADC campaign

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC PCC) has dismissed as an academic exercise the judgment of a Federal High Court, which nullified the candidature of Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 polls.

The campaign council, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party’s legal team was set to appeal the judgment, which also sacked the Senator David Mark-led ADC National Working Committee (NWC).

According to Ologbondiyan, “beyond its legal implications, however, the timing of this judgment raises serious concerns. It comes against the backdrop of the failed APC presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna and the hugely successful and unprecedented ADC presidential campaign flag-off in Sokoto.

“The contrast is unmistakable: while the ADC is gaining momentum and attracting growing national acceptance, the ruling party appears increasingly unsettled by the prospect of a formidable opposition.

“Rather than confront the ADC politically and through the ballot box, the APC appears increasingly desperate to deploy every available instrument to frustrate the opposition and undermine its growing electoral momentum.”

Similarly, a support group, under the aegis of United Friends for Atiku (UFFA), has expressed concern over the Federal High Court verdict, saying it constitutes a great danger to democracy.

The group, which spoke through Aliyu Audu at a press briefing in Abuja, called on the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as democratic countries, to pay attention to the unfolding development in Nigeria.

Audu, while urging the Court of Appeal to accord the utmost urgency to any appeal arising from the Federal High Court judgment, cautioned political actors against weaponising state institutions.

According to him, “The rule of law relies on consistency and the finality of judgments. We are particularly concerned because there exists an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman on 2 July 2026 (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025), which affirmed the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC.

“When litigants and citizens are subjected to conflicting outcomes from courts of equal standing on substantially related disputes, public confidence is destroyed. The appellate courts must urgently examine these questions before this institutionalises legal chaos.”

He added: “We urgently call upon the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and our international democratic partners—including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union—to pay close attention to the unfolding crisis in Nigeria.

“We urge you to hold the incumbent administration accountable to international democratic standards, scrutinise these judicial anomalies, and deploy necessary diplomatic pressure to ensure that Nigeria’s electoral process is not hijacked.”