The political future of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) suffered a major setback on Thursday as the Federal High Court in Abuja sacked the David Mark-led leadership of the party and nullified its actions.a
The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, declared the emergence of the Mark-led interim National Working Committee unconstitutional, effectively throwing the party’s leadership structure and preparations for the 2027 general election into fresh uncertainty.
The ruling has cast a cloud over Atiku’s presidential ambition, particularly his emergence as the ADC’s presidential candidate through a nomination process conducted under the disputed leadership.
It also raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy of decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, the party’s organisational structure and the legal foundation of its preparations for the 2027 elections.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the interim National Working Committee took control of the party following the departure of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Gombe had argued that, under the ADC constitution, he was constitutionally entitled to assume leadership of the party following Nwosu’s resignation.
He also challenged the emergence of former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, insisting that the process through which the new leadership emerged violated the party’s constitution.
Justice Lifu reportedly upheld Gombe’s position, recognising him as the authentic leader of the ADC and invalidating the actions taken by the Mark-led caretaker leadership.
The development represents a significant political and legal complication for Atiku, whose 2027 presidential aspiration has been anchored on the ADC platform following the opposition coalition’s realignment ahead of the next general election.
With the authority under which the party’s presidential nomination was conducted now successfully challenged in court, the former Vice-President’s candidacy faces renewed legal uncertainty.
Although the judgment does not, by itself, amount to a definitive pronouncement on Atiku’s personal eligibility to contest the 2027 election, the invalidation of actions taken by the disputed leadership could have far-reaching consequences for the validity of the party’s nomination process.
The crisis also threatens to unsettle the opposition coalition’s political calculations, with the ADC having emerged as a major platform for forces seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Thursday’s ruling is the latest chapter in a prolonged battle over the soul of the opposition party.
On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court set aside the Court of Appeal’s status quo ante bellum order and directed the Federal High Court to expedite hearing of Gombe’s substantive suit.
The apex court’s decision did not determine the rightful leadership of the ADC but cleared the way for the Federal High Court to resolve the substantive dispute.
That determination has now produced a judgment with potentially far-reaching implications for the party’s leadership and its 2027 electoral strategy.
Meanwhile, the ADC’s indication that it would challenge the judgment introduces another dimension to the unfolding political drama.
However, the filing of an appeal does not automatically suspend the operation of the judgment. The party would need to pursue the appropriate legal process, including seeking a stay of execution where necessary.
For Atiku, the immediate challenge is whether the ADC can overcome its leadership crisis and establish a legally recognised structure capable of sustaining its presidential nomination ahead of the electoral timetable.
With the 2027 election drawing closer, the opposition party now faces the difficult task of resolving its internal leadership battle while protecting the political platform upon which its presidential ambition rests.
The unfolding legal battle could therefore prove decisive not only for the future of the ADC but also for the shape of the opposition contest against Tinubu in 2027.
