Legal Earthquake in Nigerian Politics: Federal High Court Nullifies David Mark-Led ADC Leadership and Atiku’s 2027 Nomination 🏛️⚖️

The political landscape ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections has been thrown into a state of profound uncertainty following a high-stakes judicial ruling.

A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, delivered a major verdict nullifying the National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark.

The sweeping judgment also invalidated the internal party processes that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s standard-bearer for the 2027 presidential contest, alongside the emergence of former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.

Inside the Court Ruling: What the Judgment Entails

The legal battle stems from suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, brought forward by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe.

Gombe challenged the constitutional validity of the caretaker committee’s takeover following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu. He argued that the Mark-led leadership violated both the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution.

Justice Lifu upheld the plaintiff’s arguments, ruling that:

• Leadership Nullification: The emergence of the Mark-led National Working Committee breached electoral laws and internal party guidelines.
• Candidacy Rejection: All candidate nominations from the presidential level down to governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives conducted under the Mark-led faction stand annulled.
• INEC Directive: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been formally ordered not to recognize or act on any resolutions or decisions passed during the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 27, 2025.

Gombe’s legal counsels, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN) and Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), confirmed to journalists that all actions taken by the disputed leadership since mid-2025 are legally voided, leaving only candidates loyal to the Bala Gombe faction recognized under the ruling.

Atiku and the Mark Faction Vow to Appeal

Reacting swiftly to the verdict, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar strongly condemned the timing of the judgment. Speaking through the Director of Strategic Communication for his campaign, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of weaponizing the judiciary to stifle political opposition.

Drawing a parallel to his massive campaign launch in Sokoto State, Atiku insisted that the legal hurdle would not derail his aspirations:

“The timing of this judgment is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to support a ruling agenda that fears genuine competition. Our campaign for affordable living will continue without missing a beat. We will challenge this judicial maneuver at the Court of Appeal.”

Atiku’s legal team also pointed to a prior conflicting judgment by Justice Musa Liman in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, which had earlier upheld the legitimacy of the leadership transition, arguing that a court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot overturn a subsisting ruling.

Despite the legal setback, Atiku pressed forward with his campaign itinerary, traveling to Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, where he pledged to restore fuel subsidies, tackle national insecurity, and prioritize economic relief alongside his running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Kebbi governorship candidate Abubakar Malami.

Bala Gombe Faction Takes Control, Rejects Reconciliation

On the winning side, the Nafiu Bala Gombe-led faction celebrated the verdict as a triumph for internal party democracy and the rule of law.

Addressing the press, Gombe declared his faction as the sole legitimate authority within the party and directed all candidates nominated under his structure to resume their campaign activities.

However, Gombe firmly shut the door on immediate reconciliation with Atiku and David Mark, issuing a blunt challenge:

“How can you reconcile with individuals who are not properly registered members? I call on Atiku Abubakar and David Mark to go to their respective local wards, register officially as members of the ADC, and then we can discuss working together.”

Widespread Condemnation and Defense Across the Political Divide

The court ruling immediately ignited a firestorm across the Nigerian political spectrum:

• Opposition Outcry: Leaders from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Labour Party (LP), and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)—including former presidential candidate Peter Obi—expressed grave concern. Obi warned that creating uncertainty around party candidates just months before a general election undermines democratic consolidation, urging that voters rather than courtrooms must choose leaders. PDP and APM representatives similarly labeled the development as part of an ongoing “suffocation” of political pluralism.
• Government Defense: Conversely, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo defended the judicial outcome, pushing back against claims of executive overreach. Keyamo asserted that the crisis was entirely self-inflicted by the Mark-led camp due to procedural shortcuts during their takeover, emphasizing that the rule of law must be respected regardless of political sentiments.

As legal teams rush to file motions for stays of execution and prepare appeals at appellate courts, the political drama surrounding the ADC’s 2027 ballot access remains one of the most volatile developing stories in the country.