By Ghazali Ibrahim
The legal battle over former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential ambition has taken a wider dimension, with the fate of other African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidates also hanging in the balance following a court judgment that invalidated the party’s leadership structure.
The development comes as the ADC has filed an appeal against the November 5 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, alongside an application seeking to suspend its enforcement pending the determination of the appeal.
The party also formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the commission not to take further action based on the judgment while the legal proceedings remain unresolved.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court nullified the leadership of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee, declaring its emergence unlawful and invalidating decisions taken under its authority.
These decisions included the party’s congresses and convention, which produced Atiku as its presidential candidate and other candidates seeking elective offices in the 2027 elections.
Consequently, the implications of the ruling extend beyond Atiku’s presidential ambition, raising questions about the validity of the nominations of ADC candidates contesting governorship, National Assembly and other legislative positions.
According to a report by THISDAY, the ADC’s notice of appeal and application for a stay of execution were dated November 6 and filed by its legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Shaibu Enejoh Aruwa.
In a letter to INEC, the party disclosed that its application for a stay of execution was yet to be heard, asking the commission to exercise restraint until the Court of Appeal determines the matter.
However, the filing of an appeal does not automatically suspend the judgment. The ADC will need to obtain the necessary court order before the enforcement of the ruling can be halted.
The latest development has also placed INEC in a delicate position as the commission is being asked to take account of both the subsisting judgment and the pending legal challenge.
Beyond the immediate dispute, the judgment has reopened questions about conflicting judicial decisions concerning the ADC leadership.
The Mark-led faction has previously relied on a July 2, 2026 judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, which dismissed a separate suit challenging the party’s leadership transition.
The latest case, however, was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC, who argued that he was entitled to assume leadership following the resignation of former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Justice Lifu ruled in his favour, holding that the process through which Mark and other members of the executive emerged violated the party’s constitution and applicable electoral provisions.
Reacting to the unfolding crisis, legal scholar and former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr Sam Amadi, warned that prolonged litigation could create uncertainty for voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during a discussion on Arise Television, Amadi said the dispute should not be dismissed as an ordinary internal party disagreement, arguing that courts could intervene where allegations of violations of party constitutions and electoral laws arise.
He also cautioned that Nigerians should not approach the final weeks before an election without knowing which candidates would appear on the ballot.
Mahmoud Jega, who also participated in the discussion, expressed concern that repeated legal disputes affecting opposition parties could create public suspicion about the fairness of political competition.
He argued that the consequences of the ADC judgment could extend to other candidates whose nominations were conducted under the disputed leadership.
For now, the ADC insists that its campaign will continue while it pursues its legal options.
But with the appeal and stay application awaiting judicial determination, the dispute has become more than a contest over who controls the ADC.
It is now a battle over whether the party’s entire 2027 electoral structure, from its presidential candidate to its other flagbearers, can stand in law.
