{
  "id": 18318660,
  "title": "'You are playing with fire' - ADC warns APC, rejects judgment nullifying Atiku's candidacy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/you-are-playing-with-fire-adc-warns-apc-rejects-judgment-nullifying",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T13:35:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/11/05/adc-rejects-judgment-nullifying-atikus-candidacy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is recklessly jeopardizing Nigeria's democracy by attempting to undermine opposition parties through judicial means. This warning comes in response to an Abuja Federal High Court judgment that dismissed the leadership of the APC's David Mark and nullified former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC's presidential candidate. The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, barely 24 hours after the APC's presidential campaign rally in Sokoto, which drew a large turnout.\n\nThe ADC argues that the timing of the judgment reveals the party's desperation and fear of losing political momentum. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party emphasized that the decision could have wide-reaching implications, potentially affecting thousands of ADC candidates vying for elective positions across the country. The ADC maintains that the dispute is not merely about Atiku Abubakar or David Mark, but rather about the fundamental democratic right of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders.\n\nThe opposition party further asserts that the judgment is legally indefensible and plans to challenge it through all available judicial avenues. They cite an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman, delivered on July 2, 2026, which upheld the legitimacy of the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the leadership. The ADC contends that a court of equal jurisdiction cannot review or nullify a subsisting judgment by another court.\n\nThe ADC accuses the APC of using the judiciary to suppress opposition parties whenever they gain political traction, warning that Nigerians would resist any attempts to undermine the democratic process. The party warns the APC against playing with fire that they cannot control, emphasizing that the peace and stability of Nigeria are more important than any individual's ambition to retain power. The ADC stresses that Nigeria belongs to its citizens, not any political party, and challenges President Bola Tinubu and the APC to prove their popularity through a free and fair electoral process.",
  "summary": "The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is playing with fire in its attempts to cripple the opposition. The party made the assertion in its reaction to an Abuja Federal High Court judgment that sacked the David Mark leadership of the party. The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter […] 'You are playing with fire' - ADC warns APC, rejects…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}