The African Democratic Congress has rejected the Federal High Court judgment nullifying its National Working Committee led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidating the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
The party said it would challenge the ruling through all available legal channels, arguing that the decision threatened the political rights of its members and candidates ahead of the general elections.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated the party’s position in a statement issued on Thursday.
In the statement titled, ‘Lifu Judgment: APC Wants to Set Nigeria on Fire’, the party questioned the timing of the judgment, alleging that it came as opposition activities gathered momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.
The ADC said the ruling could affect thousands of its candidates seeking elective positions across the country.
It said, “Yesterday, Nigerians came out in their hundreds of thousands to demonstrate their support for the ADC and our promise of making life affordable for them.
“Today, they are being told that the party that they support and the candidates that they have supported at all levels could be erased by the stroke of a reckless judicial pen.”
The party insisted that the dispute went beyond Atiku and Mark, saying the judgment had implications for the right of its members to participate in the electoral process.
The ADC also faulted the ruling, citing an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on July 2, 2026, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
According to the party, the earlier judgment affirmed the legitimacy of the Mark-led National Working Committee and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise its leadership.
It argued that a court of coordinate jurisdiction could not sit on appeal over or overturn the decision of another court of equal jurisdiction.
The statement read, “It is a settled principle of Nigerian jurisprudence that a court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot sit on appeal over, review, vary or nullify the subsisting judgment of another court of equal jurisdiction.”
Abdullahi said the party would not accept consequential orders arising from what it described as a flawed judgment.
However, the ADC said it was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the ruling to establish its precise terms, scope and operative orders.
The party also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of using the judiciary to weaken opposition parties, although it did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation.
It urged the judiciary to protect democratic principles and called on the APC to allow political competition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The ADC further appealed to its members nationwide to remain calm and law-abiding while the party pursued its legal options.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had on Thursday nullified the Mark-led ADC leadership and invalidated decisions taken by the committee, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
The court also ordered INEC not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), said the ruling invalidated all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership since July 2025.
Another lawyer to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), said the decision effectively left the party without candidates for the 2027 presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
