Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to contest at the Court of Appeal the Federal High Court judgment delivered on Thursday that nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress under former Senate President David Mark.
Atiku characterized the ruling as an effort to weaken the opposition party and to frustrate his presidential ambition in the run-up to the 2027 general elections.
He further asked why another suit had been filed against the Mark-led leadership, given an earlier judgment by the same Federal High Court that he said had confirmed its legitimacy.
Atiku’s stance was set out in a Thursday statement by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, titled ‘The Panic Is Real Atiku.’
The former vice president questioned the timing of the judgment, which was delivered barely a day after a large crowd turned out for the ADC campaign rally in Sokoto State.
He stated that the turnout showed Nigerians’ yearning for political change and their backing for the party’s pledge to tackle the rising cost of living.
“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.
Atiku claimed that the ruling was meant to erode his political backing in Northern Nigeria and to undercut the momentum built by the Sokoto rally.
“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,” he said.
He nevertheless insisted that his candidacy appealed across the whole country, contending that economic hardship hit Nigerians no matter where they lived.
“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 added.
He also argued that the ruling party had underestimated the extent of his political support by assuming that his appeal was limited to the North.
“But the ruling party’s greatest miscalculation is to assume that my support ends in the North. What we saw in Sokoto, what we will see in Kebbi and across the country, is the strength of a national movement,” he said.
Regarding the legal dispute, Atiku referenced a prior ruling by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, issued on July 2, 2026, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
He stated that the court had rejected the challenge to the Mark-led leadership, sustaining objections concerning jurisdiction, standing, and failure to exhaust internal party remedies.
“Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court had already dismissed the challenge to the David Mark-led leadership in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025. The court upheld the defendants’ objections on jurisdiction, standing, and the failure to exhaust internal party remedies and resolved the substantive issues in their favor,” he said.
Asking why the dispute was reopened, Atiku described the latest judgment as an attempt to circumvent the earlier decision.
“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 maneuver at the Court of Appeal,” he added.
Chronicle NG reports that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday nullified the leadership of the Mark-led ADC and invalidated decisions taken by the party under the leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
The ruling came after a lawsuit brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), who contested the manner in which Mark and other caretaker committee members took charge of the party.
Justice Lifu ruled that the rise of the Mark-led leadership contravened the party’s constitution, pertinent sections of the Electoral Act, and the 1999 Constitution.
The court further directed the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognize or give effect to decisions made at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting on July 27, 2025.
The ADC had already denounced the judgment, stating that it would contest the ruling through the judicial avenues available to it.
The party also called on its members to stay calm and law-abiding as it explores legal avenues.
In the meantime, Atiku appealed to his supporters not to let the judgment sap the campaign’s momentum, saying the party’s activities would carry on nationwide.
“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.
He called on his supporters to continue taking the party’s message to Nigerians through house-to-house and door-to-door campaigns while remaining peaceful.
“We urge our supporters to remain resolute, take our message from house to house and door to door, and stay peaceful and focused. There is no shaking,” he added.
