Atiku, Obi, SDP, CUPP, ADC kick as court sacks Mark-led ADC exco

By Nwafor Sunday, Henry Umoru, Ikechukwu Nnochiri,  Luminous Jannamike, & John Alechelu

The Federal High Court in Abuja’s decision to sack the Senator David Mark-led executive committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and nullify all actions taken by it has drawn criticism from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate Peter Obi; the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP.

While Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of using the judgment to frustrate his presidential ambition and weaken his support base in the North, Obi urged Nigerians and the judiciary to protect democratic principles and allow opposition parties to thrive.

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

The judgment followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC (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 entitled to assume the leadership of the party.

The court upheld his claims and granted the reliefs sought.

The ruling has raised questions about the status of Atiku’s candidacy, coming barely 24 hours after he held 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 contain the ADC’s growing political influence ahead of the 2027 elections.

Atiku said the ruling came barely 24 hours after thousands of supporters welcomed him to Sokoto for the launch of the ADC campaign, alleging that the development was part of a strategy to weaken his Northern support base and halt the spread of his campaign beyond the region.

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 judgment would neither derail the party’s campaign nor diminish its appeal across the country.

He said the reception in Sokoto reflected Nigerians’ growing frustration with economic hardship and their desire for a change of 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 attempts to portray his candidacy as a Northern project, Atiku said the economic crisis confronting Nigerians had made his political message relevant across regional 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 said.

Atiku alleged that the judgment was intended to disrupt the momentum of his campaign 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. What we saw in Sokoto, what we will see in Kebbi and across the country, is the strength of a national movement,” he said.

On the legal implications, Atiku questioned why the leadership dispute was reopened despite an earlier judgment by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.

He said the court had dismissed the challenge to the David Mark-led leadership after upholding objections bordering on jurisdiction, standing and failure to exhaust internal party remedies, adding that the substantive issues were also 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 said.

The former Vice-President urged ADC supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding, insisting that the ruling would not interrupt the party’s mobilisation.

“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 in Kebbi, Atiku urged supporters to take the party’s message from house to house and door to door, declaring, “There is no shaking.”

Obi warns against undermining democracy

Also reacting to the development, Obi urged Nigerians and the judiciary to protect democratic principles and allow opposition parties to thrive.

Obi, who expressed shock over the judgment, said the development had created uncertainty in the country’s political landscape, particularly with the 2027 general election approaching.

He disclosed this in a statement posted on his X platform on Thursday.

The former Anambra State governor said although he respected the court’s authority to determine disputes in accordance with the law, the timing of the judgment raised concerns about electoral certainty.

“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 over political parties and their candidates close to an election could undermine the electoral process and restrict the space for opposition campaigns.

He alleged that the ruling party was engineering instability within opposition parties, claiming that similar developments had affected him in the Labour Party.

He also alleged that opposition campaigns had been subjected to violence, describing the developments as part of what he called efforts to shrink the civic space and weaken opposition politics.

Emphasising the importance of voters in a democracy, Obi said the choice of political leaders should ultimately rest with the electorate.

“One mark of democracy is that at all times, 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 said.

He appealed to the judiciary and other stakeholders to protect democratic institutions and ensure that candidates were allowed to participate freely in electoral contests.

Obi further 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, the survival of democracy requires a political environment in which opposition parties are allowed to operate, organise and compete without persecution.

He said he had consistently maintained that, if elected president, he would give special attention to ensuring that opposition parties remained stable and viable.

Obi added that his administration would protect opposition candidates from being pushed out of electoral contests.

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

CUPP accuses APC of pursuing one-party state

Similarly, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) criticised the judgment, alleging that it could weaken opposition parties and undermine political competition in the country.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday through its Office of the Spokesperson, the coalition accused the ruling APC of benefiting from what it described as a systematic effort to weaken opposition parties.

CUPP alleged that the judgment was part of a broader attempt to undermine opposition political structures and create conditions for a one-party state.

The coalition also expressed concern over the role of the judiciary, arguing that the ruling raised questions about the courts’ responsibility to protect democratic rights and political participation.

“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.

It further alleged that sections of the judiciary had failed to adequately protect the interests of citizens and the electoral process.

CUPP also accused the APC-led government of relying on legal technicalities to challenge opposition candidates and party leadership structures, saying such developments could restrict political competition and undermine 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.

The coalition declared solidarity with the ADC and other opposition groups, saying it would continue to defend democratic participation and political pluralism.

SDP condemns alleged move to disqualify Atiku

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) condemned alleged attempts to disqualify Atiku from the 2027 presidential election, insisting that political parties should be allowed to freely present candidates.

The SDP 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 country’s democratic process.

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

The SDP chairman alleged that the ruling party, having lost the confidence of Nigerians over its governance record, was using the proposed Rainbow Coalition to woo opposition members and undermine their unity.

He, however, said the SDP was working with other opposition parties towards building a coalition of Nigerians committed to credible elections, including joint training of party agents and the establishment of common situation rooms to protect votes at polling units.

Gombe reaffirmed the party’s commitment to presenting what he described as credible alternatives to Nigerians, naming its presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and vice-presidential candidate, Prof. Usman Bugaje.

“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 said the party had resolved to discipline any member who participated in the proposed arrangement without its authorisation.

The SDP chairman also expressed concern over the alleged failure of INEC to publish the names of some of the party’s candidates, saying the matter was already before the court.

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

Gombe 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 candidates strategise ahead of 2027

Earlier, the Chairman of the SDP Governors’ Forum and Nasarawa governorship candidate, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, said the meeting was aimed at developing strategies to secure victory in the presidential, governorship and legislative elections.

Adamu said the candidates shared experiences from their respective states and discussed ways to address organisational gaps 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 strengthen its structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

ADC vows to appeal judgment

The ADC has vowed to appeal the judgment. Its National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined as an interested party in the case, said the party would challenge the verdict at the appellate court.

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