Atiku Abubakar ballot status challenged by Nigeria court ruling
Nigeria’s Federal High Court has invalidated Atiku Abubakar’s presidential nomination and removed the African Democratic Congress leadership. The party says it…
ABUJA — Nigeria’s Federal High Court has invalidated former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s nomination as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate and removed the party’s leadership. The ruling puts his ballot status in dispute ahead of the presidential election scheduled for January 16.
For now, Abubakar remains on the electoral commission’s final list of candidates, with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate. The ADC says it will challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
The clash leaves the opposition party facing uncertainty over its leadership and the authority to represent its candidates. The dispute could affect hundreds of ADC candidates as the election approaches.
Will Atiku Abubakar be on Nigeria’s presidential ballot?
Abubakar is still listed as the ADC candidate, but the court has ruled his nomination invalid. The ADC plans to appeal, leaving the question unresolved.
The Federal High Court judgment also removed the party leadership, a decision the ADC described as an attempt to cripple the opposition. The party said the ruling was intended to weaken its momentum and frustrate Abubakar’s candidacy.
Abubakar questioned why the case had been brought again after an earlier ruling on the party’s leadership. “Why, after that judgment, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute?” he said.
Why is the ADC leadership in court?
The dispute centers on David Mark’s appointment as interim chairman. Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC national deputy chairman, argued that Mark and others had not been elected at a national convention and said he should have taken over after the former chairman resigned in 2025.
The court had previously considered the party’s leadership. In July, Judge Musa Liman ruled that Mark had been chosen in accordance with the country’s laws and the party’s constitution, in a case brought by another former ADC member.
Several prominent politicians joined the ADC in 2025 after becoming disillusioned with factional infighting in the Peoples Democratic Party. Mark took the interim leadership as the party accommodated the new political figures.
The latest ruling raises a practical question beyond Abubakar’s own nomination: who can speak and act for the party while its leadership is contested? The potential uncertainty extends to hundreds of ADC candidates, while the electoral commission’s published list still names Abubakar on the ticket.
ADC says it will appeal
Abubakar called the judgment’s timing significant, saying it came shortly after a large crowd welcomed him in Sokoto at the launch of his campaign. He also urged supporters to remain peaceful and focused.
“Nigerians deserve relief from this crushing cost-of-living crisis,” Abubakar said. He described the Sokoto gathering as the beginning of his campaign effort.
Peter Obi, another leading presidential candidate, said he was shocked by the ruling. In a statement, he said that with three months before a general election, “it is in the public interest to have certainty.”
The presidential election is scheduled for January 16, and the ADC says its next step is an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
