ADC factional chair Bala hails court ruling nullifying Atiku’s candidacy

A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, has nullified the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 elections. The ruling, which Punch reports follows a leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also invalidated the leadership of the party led by former Senate President David Mark. According to Punch, the judgment affects the emergence of Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary and the nominations of other candidates presented by the ADC for the 2027 elections.

Bala Gombe, the factional National Chairman of the ADC, commended the court for its independent and impartial handling of the politically sensitive matter, according to Daily Post Nigeria. Gombe stated that the decision affirmed foundational principles of Nigerian jurisprudence by subjecting leadership emergence to constitutional and statutory scrutiny.

In response, Atiku Abubakar said he will challenge the judgment. Premium Times reports that his campaign council intends to seek interim relief and disputes the legal basis of the ruling. Additionally, Peter Obi expressed concern on his verified X account, stating he received the news with shock and warning that the development could create uncertainty for opposition parties and undermine voters' choices, according to Punch.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Premium Times, Daily Post Nigeria, Punch — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.