Court Ruling Deepens ADC Leadership Crisis, Puts Atiku’s 2027 Presidential Bid in Uncertainty

The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has deepened following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja invalidating the emergence of the National Working Committee led by former Senate President David Mark.

The ruling has also thrown the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections into uncertainty, including the presidential candidacy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, whose emergence was among the decisions affected by the judgment.

Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment delivered on November 5, declared that actions and decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership and its members from July 29, 2025, were null and void. The court also rejected a disputed resignation letter allegedly written by former Deputy National Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe.

Court Rejects Gombe's Alleged Resignation

The court ruled that Gombe was the only elected member of the ADC's National Working Committee whose four-year tenure remained valid and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise that status.

However, Justice Lifu declined to declare Gombe the party's substantive National Chairman, explaining that the invalidation of the disputed leadership process did not automatically entitle him to another national office.

Gombe had argued that he was elected Deputy National Chairman on October 12, 2022, for a four-year tenure and was the only elected NWC member who had not resigned after the former party leadership stepped down in July 2025.

The judge said the disputed resignation letter, tendered as evidence, was not reliable proof that Gombe had voluntarily relinquished his position. He compared the signature on the document with those on Gombe's sworn statements and found material differences.

The court consequently restrained INEC from recognising Mark, former National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola and other members of the disputed NWC as ADC national officers. It also dismissed the defendants' counterclaim.

ADC Rejects Judgment, Plans Appeal

The ADC has rejected the court's finding on the disputed resignation letter, insisting that it possesses the original document bearing Gombe's signature.

The party's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the judge disregarded evidence the party intended to present and confirmed that the ADC would challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.

Gombe has repeatedly denied signing the letter, describing it as forged. The court's rejection of the document weakened a key argument advanced by the Mark-led faction to justify the leadership transition.

Meanwhile, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council alleged that Gombe had acknowledged Mark as the party's National Chairman during a National Executive Committee meeting. The council's Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, cited a video in support of the claim.

INEC Awaits Certified Judgment

INEC has said it will not take any action on the ruling until it obtains and studies the Certified True Copy of the judgment.

The commission's National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said its legal department would review the document and advise the relevant committee before recommendations are presented to the commission.

Haruna explained that obtaining a certified copy involved court procedures and that INEC could not compel the judiciary to release it immediately.

He said the commission would determine its next steps after completing the legal review.

ADC Candidates Protest Over Delayed Court Copy

The judgment has also triggered protests and petitions by ADC candidates contesting in the 2027 elections. The Forum of ADC Candidates in Nigeria petitioned the United Nations, the United States Embassy, the British High Commission, the European Union and ECOWAS over what it described as delays in releasing the certified judgment.

In a petition signed on behalf of the forum by Audu Aliyu, the candidates said their lawyers applied for the document and paid the required fees immediately after the November 5 judgment but had yet to receive it.

They argued that the delay was affecting their constitutional right to appeal and urged relevant institutions to ensure that due process was respected.

ADC members and supporters also staged a protest at the Federal High Court premises in Abuja, demanding the immediate release of the document. The protesters, led by former Acting ADC Chairman in the Federal Capital Territory, Yusuf Shehu Tijani, called on the National Judicial Council to intervene.

The protesters described the judgment as unjust and insisted that the party needed the certified copy to pursue its appeal. Their claims about the delay and the court's handling of the matter remain part of the ongoing dispute.

ADC Accuses Tinubu of Recycling Campaign Promises

Amid the leadership crisis, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council has accused President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress of recycling unfulfilled promises in the ruling party's manifesto for the 2027–2031 period.

The council's Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the manifesto, titled "From Reforms to Prosperity Agenda", repeated commitments made during the 2023 presidential campaign without presenting a credible roadmap for delivering them.

It listed stable electricity, affordable food, a stronger naira, youth employment and improved national security among the promises it said had not been fulfilled.

The council also questioned the impact of government borrowing, petrol subsidy removal and additional taxes, arguing that Nigerians had yet to experience sufficient improvements in their living conditions.

It urged voters to reject the APC's proposals and support the ADC, which it described as an alternative focused on economic stability, security and accountability.

In a separate statement, the campaign council also criticised alleged cash and gift distributions at APC political events, describing them as inappropriate amid economic hardship. It called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and INEC to investigate the reported incidents.

The allegations about political inducements and the council's criticism of the government's economic record represent the ADC's position and have not been independently established by the claims presented in the report.

With the ADC challenging the court ruling and INEC awaiting the certified judgment, the party's leadership structure and preparations for the 2027 elections remain uncertain. The outcome of the expected appeal is likely to shape its next political direction.

Punch Newspapers