The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of Senator David Mark.
He described the judgment as an attempt to destabilise the party and undermine his 2027 presidential ambition.
Atiku alleged that the judgment was politically motivated and deliberately timed to weaken the ADC following the massive turnout that welcomed him to Sokoto State on Wednesday during the launch of his presidential campaign.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, the former vice president said the ruling would not derail the party’s campaign or its efforts to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
“The people of Sokoto came out in their thousands because they are hungry for change and believe in our promise to make life affordable again. What we witnessed in Sokoto is only the beginning. The people of Kebbi will have their say, and so will Nigerians across the country as our campaign moves forward,” he said.
Atiku maintained that although he hails from Northern Nigeria, his presidential ambition cuts across regional and ethnic boundaries.
“My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians. There is a difference between being from the North and being a candidate only for the North. Hunger and hardship do not respect regional boundaries. Nigerians across the country are suffering under this government, and they deserve a leader with a credible plan to make life affordable again,” he added.
He further alleged that the judgment was part of a broader strategy to weaken his political support in the North and disrupt the growing momentum of his campaign.
“The timing of this judgment is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to weaken my support in the North and frustrate a campaign whose message is resonating across the country. But the ruling party’s greatest miscalculation is to assume that my support ends in the North. What we saw in Sokoto, what we will see in Kebbi and across the country, is the strength of a national movement,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president also questioned the legal basis of the judgment, arguing that the dispute over the party’s leadership had previously been decided by another judge of the same court.
According to him, Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court had earlier dismissed the challenge to the David Mark-led leadership in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
Atiku said the court upheld the defendants’ objections on jurisdiction, standing and failure to exhaust internal party remedies before resolving the substantive issues in their favour.
He questioned why another suit was instituted to reopen the same dispute despite the earlier judgment.
“This is a calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgment. We will challenge this judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal,” he said.
Atiku urged ADC supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, insisting that the court ruling would not affect the party’s campaign activities.
He disclosed that the campaign train had already moved to Kebbi State and would continue its activities across the country.
“Our journey to rescue Nigeria from the hardship imposed by the APC government is a long one. Our Affordable Life campaign will continue because Nigerians deserve relief from this crushing cost-of-living crisis.
“We urge our supporters to remain resolute, take our message from house to house and door to door, and stay peaceful and focused. There is no shaking,” he added.
Earlier, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the leadership of the ADC under Senator David Mark and invalidated all actions taken by the party executives.
Politics Nigeria reports that the affected decisions included the party’s nomination of Atiku as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The former vice president had earlier been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the ADC presidential candidate. He subsequently selected former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
However, in his judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Lifu declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal, ruling against the process through which it assumed control of the party and organised the primary election that produced Atiku as its presidential flag bearer.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led committee took over the party’s leadership.
