Atiku, Obi, SDP, CUPP Kick as Court Sacks Mark-Led ADC Executive, Nullifies Decisions

By Frontline Reporters

The Federal High Court in Abuja has come under criticism from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) following its decision to sack the Senator David Mark-led executive committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and nullify all actions taken by the leadership.

While Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of exploiting the judgment to frustrate his presidential ambition and weaken his political support base in Northern Nigeria, Obi called on Nigerians and the judiciary to protect democratic principles and ensure that opposition parties were allowed to operate freely.

The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, declared the Mark-led ADC caretaker committee illegal and invalidated its actions, including the party’s presidential primary that reportedly produced Atiku as its candidate for the 2027 general election.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman (North-East), who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.

Gombe had argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership.

The court upheld his claims and granted the reliefs sought.

The judgment has thrown fresh uncertainty into the ADC’s leadership structure and the status of its 2027 presidential nomination, coming barely 24 hours after Atiku attended a campaign rally in Sokoto State.

 

Atiku alleges plot to weaken Northern support

Reacting to the judgment, Atiku accused the APC of using the court ruling to frustrate his presidential ambition and undermine the ADC’s growing political influence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He noted that the judgment came barely 24 hours after thousands of supporters welcomed him to Sokoto for the launch of the party’s campaign, alleging that the development was part of a deliberate strategy to weaken his Northern support base and halt the expansion of his campaign across the country.

In a statement issued on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, the former Vice-President insisted that the ruling would neither derail the party’s mobilisation nor diminish its appeal nationwide.

He said the massive reception in Sokoto reflected growing public frustration with economic hardship and the desire for a change in government.

“The people of Sokoto came out in their thousands because they are hungry for change and believe in our promise to make life affordable again. What we witnessed in Sokoto is only the beginning. The people of Kebbi will have their say, and so will Nigerians across the country as our campaign moves forward,” he said.

Rejecting suggestions that his presidential ambition was primarily a Northern project, Atiku maintained that his political message was relevant to Nigerians across regional and ethnic boundaries.

“My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians. There is a difference between being from the North and being a candidate only for the North. Hunger and hardship do not respect regional boundaries. Nigerians across the country are suffering under this government, and they deserve a leader with a credible plan to make life affordable again,” he stated.

Atiku further alleged that the timing of the judgment was intended to disrupt his campaign momentum and weaken the opposition’s growing political reach.

“The timing of this judgment is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to weaken my support in the North and frustrate a campaign whose message is resonating across the country. But the ruling party’s greatest miscalculation is to assume that my support ends in the North,” he said.

On the legal implications of the ruling, the former Vice-President questioned why the leadership dispute had resurfaced despite an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.

He claimed that the earlier court had dismissed a challenge to the Mark-led leadership after upholding objections relating to jurisdiction, legal standing and failure to exhaust internal party remedies, adding that the substantive issues had also been resolved in favour of the defendants.

“Why, after that judgment, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute? This is a calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgment. We will challenge this judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal,” he declared.

Atiku urged ADC members and supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding, assuring them that the party’s mobilisation would continue despite the legal setback.

“Our journey to rescue Nigeria from the hardship imposed by the APC government is a long one. Our Affordable Life campaign will continue because Nigerians deserve relief from this crushing cost-of-living crisis,” he said.

With the campaign train already moving to Kebbi State, he urged supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation, declaring that there was “no shaking”.

Obi urges judiciary to protect democracy

Also reacting to the judgment, Peter Obi expressed concern over its implications for Nigeria’s democratic process, urging the judiciary and other stakeholders to safeguard political pluralism and create an enabling environment for opposition parties.

Obi, who expressed shock over the development, said the ruling had introduced fresh uncertainty into the country’s political landscape at a critical period ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement posted on his X platform on Thursday, the former Anambra State governor said he respected the authority of the courts to determine disputes in accordance with the law but questioned the implications of prolonged uncertainty over political parties and candidates close to an election.

“I do not challenge the ruling of the court. The court of law is constituted to determine disputes according to the law. My concern is that three months before a general election, it is in the public interest to have certainty,” he said.

Obi argued that uncertainty surrounding party leadership and candidate nominations could undermine the electoral process and restrict the ability of opposition parties to organise and campaign effectively.

He also alleged that the ruling party was engineering instability within opposition parties, claiming that similar challenges had affected his political experience in the Labour Party.

The former governor further raised concerns over alleged violence against opposition campaigns, describing such developments as part of what he considered attempts to shrink the civic space and weaken opposition politics.

Emphasising the importance of voters in a democracy, Obi maintained that the ultimate responsibility for choosing political leaders should rest with the electorate.

“One mark of democracy is that it is voters and not courts that choose leaders. I trust in the judiciary. As a public officer, I have shown deep respect for the judiciary,” he stated.

He appealed to the judiciary and other relevant institutions to protect democratic structures and ensure that political candidates were given the opportunity to participate freely in electoral contests.

Obi also warned against weakening opposition politics, citing the spread of military rule in parts of West Africa as a reason Nigeria should strengthen its democratic institutions.

According to him, democracy can only thrive in an environment where opposition parties are free to organise, mobilise supporters and compete without intimidation or persecution.

He said he had consistently maintained that, if elected president, he would prioritise the stability and viability of opposition parties and protect their candidates from being unfairly excluded from electoral contests.

“This is a time to strengthen our democracy by allowing the opposition to thrive,” he said.

CUPP alleges plot to establish one-party state

Similarly, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) condemned the judgment, alleging that it could weaken opposition parties, undermine political competition and threaten Nigeria’s multiparty democratic system.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday through its Office of the Spokesperson, the coalition accused the APC-led government of benefiting from what it described as a systematic attempt to weaken opposition political structures.

CUPP argued that the judgment should not be viewed as an isolated legal dispute but as part of a broader effort to undermine opposition parties and create conditions for a one-party state.

“CUPP views this controversial judgment not as an isolated legal dispute, but as part of a well-choreographed, state-sponsored onslaught aimed at wiping out viable opposition parties and turning Nigeria into a one-party state,” the statement read.

The coalition also expressed concern over the judiciary’s role in protecting democratic rights and political participation, alleging that sections of the judicial system had failed to adequately safeguard the interests of citizens and the electoral process.

It accused the APC-led government of relying on legal technicalities to challenge opposition candidates and party leadership structures, warning that such developments could restrict political competition and erode public confidence in the electoral system.

“The judiciary must remember that its allegiance belongs to the Constitution and the Nigerian people, not to the political actors of the day. When the courts become a tool for political liquidation, the very survival of our democracy is at stake,” the statement added.

CUPP declared solidarity with the ADC and other opposition groups, pledging to continue defending democratic participation, political pluralism and the right of political parties to operate without interference.

SDP condemns alleged moves to disqualify Atiku

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) condemned what it described as attempts to disqualify Atiku from the 2027 presidential election, insisting that political parties must be allowed to freely nominate and present their candidates.

The party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, stated this on Thursday in Abuja while addressing journalists after a meeting with the party’s nine governorship candidates from different states.

Gombe called on the judiciary, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain impartial and protect the integrity of the country’s democratic process.

He also accused the APC of allegedly plotting to infiltrate opposition parties and weaken their structures ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, the ruling party, having allegedly lost public confidence over its governance record, was using the proposed Rainbow Coalition to woo opposition members and undermine their unity.

However, Gombe said the SDP was working with other opposition parties towards building a broad coalition of Nigerians committed to credible elections.

He disclosed that the opposition parties were considering joint training for party agents and the establishment of common situation rooms to strengthen electoral monitoring and protect votes at polling units.

The SDP chairman reaffirmed his party’s commitment to presenting what he described as credible alternatives to Nigerians, identifying Prince Adewole Adebayo and Prof. Usman Bugaje as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, respectively.

“I want to assure you that SDP, as a political party, has nothing to do with anything called Rainbow Coalition.

“We are with other political parties in the opposition, doing everything possible to rescue our dear country through a coalition of the Nigerian people.

“We are not into any Rainbow Coalition where we will have candidates here and profess support for the APC presidency. We are SDP and we are for SDP candidates,” he said.

He warned that the party would discipline any member who participated in the proposed arrangement without its authorisation.

Gombe also expressed concern over what he described as INEC’s failure to publish the names of some SDP candidates, disclosing that the matter was already before the court.

He accused the commission of failing to recognise the candidates despite the party’s alleged compliance with the Electoral Act, the Constitution and its internal nomination procedures.

The SDP chairman further raised concerns about the voters’ register and the creation of polling units, warning against actions capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

SDP governorship candidates strategise ahead of 2027

Earlier, the Chairman of the SDP Governors’ Forum and Nasarawa State governorship candidate, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, said the meeting was convened to develop strategies for the party’s participation in the presidential, governorship and legislative elections in 2027.

Adamu said the candidates exchanged experiences from their respective states and discussed measures to address organisational weaknesses and strengthen the party’s grassroots structures ahead of the polls.

The meeting brought together the party’s nine governorship candidates and members of its National Working Committee as part of efforts to consolidate its political structures and improve electoral preparedness.

ADC vows to appeal judgment

Meanwhile, the ADC has vowed to challenge the Federal High Court judgment at the Court of Appeal.

The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, disclosed that the ADC would pursue an appeal against the ruling.

The proposed appeal is expected to determine the next legal direction of the protracted leadership dispute, while the judgment has intensified debate among opposition parties over political competition, party autonomy and the role of the judiciary in Nigeria’s democratic process.

 

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