The Federal High Court in Abuja annulled on Thursday, November 5, the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for the Nigerian presidential election on January 16, 2027, after ruling the leadership of the African Democratic Congress that endorsed him illegal.
Judge Peter Lifu ruled in favor of Nafiu Bala Gombe, former national vice-president of the ADC for the North-East. He challenged the takeover of the party by an interim team led by former Senate President David Mark following the departure of Ralph Nwosu.
The decision invalidates the actions taken by this leadership, including the primary that designated Atiku Abubakar. According to several Nigerian media outlets present at the court, it also affects the other candidacies submitted by the party for the 2027 elections.
The ADC rejected the judgment and announced an appeal. Its spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi stated that the party was awaiting the certified copy of the decision in order to precisely determine its scope and the applicable orders.
Atiku Abubakar also announced that he would appeal to the Court of Appeal. The candidate described the timing of the judgment as an attempt to weaken his movement, following the launch of his campaign in Sokoto.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had again published Atiku’s name on its updated list of presidential candidates on October 31. It had not announced any changes following the ruling at the time of consulting its website on Thursday evening.
Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 and runner-up in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar had secured the ADC nomination in May for a seventh bid for the highest office. President Bola Tinubu launched his campaign for a second term a few days before the court’s decision.
