ADC Crisis: Atiku’s loyalists storm Abuja Court, demand CTC of judgment nullifying his candidacy

Loyalists of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday staged a protest at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding the immediate release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment that invalidated the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and affected his emergence as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The protesters accused the court of delaying the release of the judgment, alleging that the development was a deliberate attempt to frustrate Atiku’s efforts to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

They insisted that withholding the certified judgment could undermine the former vice president’s right to seek redress through the appellate court.

The demonstrators submitted a petition at the Federal High Court, demanding the release of the document to Atiku’s legal team.

They also disclosed plans to submit the same petition to the United States Embassy and the United Nations, seeking their intervention in the matter.

The protest followed a controversial judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which nullified the Senator David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC and invalidated decisions taken by the committee on behalf of the party.

Among the decisions affected by the judgment was the nomination of Atiku as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Atiku had earlier been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s presidential candidate and subsequently picked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.

The court delivered the judgment in a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume leadership of the ADC.

He consequently approached the court, seeking an order restraining Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.

He also asked the court to nullify all decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, arguing that its emergence violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, INEC, Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.

In its ruling, Justice Lifu upheld Gombe’s claims, declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.

The judgment has plunged the opposition party into a fresh leadership crisis, with far-reaching implications for its preparations for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.

The ADC has, however, rejected the outcome of the case and vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.

The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was subsequently joined in the proceedings as an interested party, confirmed that the judgment would be appealed.

The latest protest underscores the growing tension within the ADC over the leadership dispute and the political implications of the court ruling, particularly its impact on Atiku’s presidential ambition and the party’s participation in the 2027 elections.