BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

The political future of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrown into uncertainty after the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the leadership structure headed by Senator David Mark and invalidated decisions taken by the disputed caretaker committee, including the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the process through which Mark and his associates assumed control of the opposition party was unlawful, declaring the caretaker committee illegal and setting aside actions carried out under its authority.

The ruling followed a legal challenge instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, the ADC’s former National Deputy Chairman (North-East), who questioned the legitimacy of the leadership arrangement that brought the Mark-led group into control of the party.

Gombe had approached the court following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, arguing that he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership in the circumstances.

He asked the court to declare the caretaker committee illegal and invalidate decisions and activities undertaken by the disputed leadership, insisting that the arrangement through which Mark and his associates assumed control did not comply with the party’s constitutional provisions.

Upholding the substance of Gombe’s case, Justice Lifu ruled against the caretaker committee, effectively stripping it of the authority under which it had operated.

Among the decisions affected by the judgment is the ADC presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 elections, raising fresh questions about the status of his nomination and the political platform on which he intends to contest.

Advertisement

The defendants in the suit included the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu.

The development comes at a critical period for the opposition party, which had recently begun activities surrounding its presidential campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku had participated in the ADC’s campaign flag-off in Sokoto, where the party announced a large turnout of supporters as part of its mobilisation efforts.

However, Thursday’s judgment has placed the party’s leadership and presidential nomination process under fresh legal scrutiny, potentially forcing the ADC to reconsider decisions already taken under the now-invalidated caretaker arrangement.

The ruling also introduces another layer of uncertainty into the opposition's preparations for the 2027 elections, particularly regarding who has the legitimate authority to manage the party and determine its candidates.

As of the time of this report, there was no indication whether the affected ADC leaders or Atiku would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal or seek an order suspending its enforcement.