Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned court judgement nullifying the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC, describing it as an attempt to weaken the party and frustrate his candidacy.
Atiku said the timing of the judgement was telling, noting that it came barely a day after a mammoth crowd turned out in Sokoto State to welcome him and attend the launch of the ADC campaign ahead of the 2027 general election.
The ADC flagbearer said this in a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had declared as illegal the Mark-led caretaker committee, which conducted the primary election that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, who also invalidated all decisions taken by the party under the Mark-led leadership, ruled in favour of former ADC National Deputy Chairman (North-East), Nafiu-Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
Atiku stated: “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.
“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.
“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.”
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Atiku noted that the judgement also raises serious legal concerns, saying: “Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court had already dismissed the challenge to the David Mark-led leadership in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
“The court upheld the defendants’ objections on jurisdiction, standing and the failure to exhaust internal party remedies, and resolved the substantive issues in their favour. Why, after that judgment, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute? This is a calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgment. We will challenge this judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal.”
Atiku urged ADC supporters to remain calm and law-abiding and not to let the judgement weaken the momentum generated in Sokoto.
The former vice president stated: “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.”
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