Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has declared his intention to challenge the recent Appeal Court ruling that upheld an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the opposition party’s state congresses. In a statement released by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku emphasized that the judgment does not invalidate the ADC’s primary elections, which led to his emergence as the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 general election.
The Appeal Court, in a majority decision delivered by Justices Okon Abang and Donatus Okorowo, affirmed the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction in the case. The case centered on the removal of state chairmen of the ADC by former Senate President David Mark, which the court ruled violated the party’s constitution, as the chairmen’s tenures had not expired. While this ruling pertains to internal party structures and state-level leadership, Atiku stressed it has no bearing on the statutory primary elections that produced his candidacy.
Atiku described attempts to interpret the judgment as a setback for the ADC’s presidential ticket as part of a broader campaign of misinformation aimed at undermining the opposition and sowing confusion among Nigerians. He noted that the court’s decision specifically addressed the conduct of state congresses and the tenure of state executive committees, not the nomination process for candidates under the Electoral Act. He pointed out the legal distinction between internal party elections and statutory primaries, which are governed by different legal frameworks and serve separate constitutional purposes.
The former vice president reiterated that courts only rule on matters directly before them and cautioned against misrepresenting the judgment beyond its scope. He criticized opponents for promoting political narratives on social media rather than engaging with the actual legal ruling. “Nigeria is governed by the rule of law, not by headlines, hashtags or the fantasies of political opportunists,” he stated.
Atiku has instructed his legal team to proceed to the Supreme Court to seek a definitive resolution on the issues arising from the Appeal Court’s decision. He expressed full confidence in the judicial process and urged ADC members and supporters across the country to remain calm, united, and focused on the mission ahead. He called on Nigerians to continue mobilizing, organizing, and believing in the vision of competent leadership, economic recovery, and national unity.
Atiku concluded by affirming that the road to 2027 remains open and that no amount of legal or political maneuvering can extinguish the legitimate aspirations of Nigerians for a better future. The struggle, he said, is not about one courtroom or one judgment, but about the collective will of millions seeking change. The destination remains unchanged, and by the grace of God and the will of the people, they will arrive.
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