The fate of 1,503 candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrown into uncertainty following a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the party’s leadership led by former Senate President David Mark.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja, invalidated the Mark-led executive and the decisions taken under its leadership, including the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The affected candidates comprise 28 governorship aspirants, 108 senatorial candidates, 352 House of Representatives candidates and 1,015 candidates for state Houses of Assembly.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker leadership assumed office.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was entitled to assume leadership in line with the party’s constitution. He asked the court to nullify the actions of the Mark-led executive and restrain its members from parading themselves as party leaders.
Justice Lifu upheld the plaintiff’s case, declaring the emergence of the Mark-led leadership unlawful and invalidating decisions taken on behalf of the party.
The ruling has raised questions over the ADC’s participation in the 2027 elections, particularly as the party had already conducted primaries and presented candidates for various elective positions.
The development has also sparked a legal dispute over an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the same court on July 2, 2026. The ADC says that ruling affirmed the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise it.
The party has rejected the latest judgment and said it will challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal. It has urged its members and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.
Atiku also condemned the ruling, describing it as an attempt to frustrate his presidential ambition. He said the party would pursue legal remedies.
The court’s decision has left the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 general election in uncertainty, with the party’s candidates and supporters awaiting the outcome of further legal proceedings.
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