Atiku’s 2027 Presidential Bid Faces Legal Setback as Court Nullifies ADC Primary.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, illegal and invalidated all actions taken by the committee on behalf of the party.

The ruling also affects the party’s presidential primary, which produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate for the 2027 general election.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu upheld a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led caretaker committee assumed control of the party.

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

He consequently asked the court to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led leadership and restrain Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.

The defendants in the suit included the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu.

The court granted the plaintiff’s reliefs, a development that could have significant implications for the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election.