By James
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The political future of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrown into fresh uncertainty, following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja declaring the Senator David Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal and invalidating all actions taken by the leadership on behalf of the party.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, has cast a shadow over the party’s 2027 presidential ticket, particularly the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate.
The development raises fundamental questions about the validity of Atiku’s emergence, given that the primary election that produced him was organised under the leadership whose legitimacy the court has now rejected.
Atiku’s name had earlier been published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the ADC presidential candidate. He had also reportedly picked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership. He consequently asked the court to nullify the Mark-led Caretaker Committee and invalidate all decisions taken by it.
He also sought an order restraining Senator Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, insisting that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
The court upheld the plaintiff’s claims and granted the reliefs sought, effectively invalidating the authority under which the Mark-led leadership operated and the decisions it took.
Although the ruling has thrown Atiku’s presidential nomination into legal uncertainty, it does not, by itself, amount to a final declaration that he is disqualified from the 2027 presidential contest. The ultimate implications will depend on the outcome of the ADC’s proposed appeal and further legal proceedings.
Reacting to the judgment, the ADC National Welfare Secretary, Mr Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined as an interested party in the suit, said the party would challenge the decision at the appellate court.
The development is particularly embarrassing for the party, coming barely 24 hours after Atiku held a massive rally in Sokoto State as part of his campaign activities ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
With its leadership structure now under judicial challenge and its presidential nomination caught in the controversy, the ADC faces an urgent battle to resolve its internal leadership crisis and protect its electoral ambitions.
The central question is no longer just who leads the ADC, but whether the party’s 2027 presidential ticket can withstand the legal consequences of the court’s decision.
