BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

A lawyer representing the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kalu Kalu, has dismissed concerns that a recent Federal High Court judgment nullifying the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party could jeopardise former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s ambition to become Nigeria’s next president.

Kalu insisted that the November 5 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu did not cancel Atiku’s nomination as the ADC presidential candidate, stressing that the court never made any specific order invalidating his candidacy or those of other politicians nominated under the Mark-led leadership.

The lawyer made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, amid growing uncertainty over the party’s participation in the January 16, 2027 presidential election following the controversial ruling.

“There is no portion of that judgment that voids the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar and the other candidates of the party,” Kalu said.

He maintained that the judgment should not be interpreted beyond what the court actually ordered, accusing some Nigerians, particularly social media users, of creating unnecessary confusion by attributing decisions to the judge that were never expressly contained in the ruling.

“The judgment of Honourable Justice Peter O. Lifu does not in any way void the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for the presidential election coming up on the 16th day of January 2027,” he added.

Kalu further argued that while the court nullified the emergence of the Mark-led National Working Committee, it did not specifically pronounce Atiku’s presidential nomination invalid.

The controversy followed a November 5 judgment in a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the emergence of Mark and other members of the party’s national leadership after the resignation of former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and several executives in July 2025.

Gombe had argued that the vacancies created by the resignations ought to have been filled through a democratic process in accordance with the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu nullified the emergence of Mark and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.

The judge also declared that all actions, decisions and steps taken by Mark, Aregbesola and other members of the National Working Committee from July 29, 2025, were null and void.

The court consequently restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or dealing with the affected officials as national officers of the party.

It also directed the electoral commission not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025, through which the Mark-led leadership emerged.

Justice Lifu ruled that the process that produced the leadership failed to meet the requirements for democratic elections under Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and violated provisions of the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution.

The judge also rejected a resignation letter allegedly written by Gombe, which the Mark-led faction had relied upon to justify excluding him from the party’s leadership structure.

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According to the court, a comparison of the signature on the disputed document with those on Gombe’s sworn statements revealed material differences, making the letter unreliable as evidence that he voluntarily resigned.

Although the court recognised Gombe as the only elected member of the ADC National Working Committee whose four-year tenure remained valid, it declined to automatically declare him the party’s substantive National Chairman.

The ruling has triggered fresh uncertainty within the opposition party, particularly over the fate of candidates produced under the Mark-led leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku had emerged as the ADC presidential candidate and subsequently selected former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate, making the implications of the judgment a major concern for the party’s electoral plans.

The controversy has also been complicated by an earlier judgment delivered on July 2, 2026, by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court, which the Mark-led faction had relied upon to defend its leadership.

The ADC argued that the two decisions were conflicting, maintaining that a court of coordinate jurisdiction could not overturn or review the decision of another court of equal standing.

Atiku has equally rejected the November 5 judgment, describing it as an attempt to weaken the opposition and frustrate his presidential ambition. He vowed to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, insisting that it would not derail his preparations for the 2027 presidential election.

The party also rejected the decision through its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who described it as politically motivated and warned that its consequences could affect thousands of ADC candidates nominated to contest various elective positions.

Following the ruling, the party filed an appeal alongside an application for a stay of execution, urging INEC to refrain from taking any action that could undermine the outcome of its legal challenge.

INEC, however, said it would first examine the certified true copy of the judgment and obtain legal advice before deciding on its next course of action.

The commission maintained that it would not take a position on the dispute without carefully studying the court's specific orders.

With the legal battle now moving towards the Court of Appeal, the ADC faces a critical period as it struggles to resolve its leadership crisis while preparing for the 2027 elections.

For Atiku and other candidates produced under the Mark-led leadership, the central question remains whether the court's decision will eventually affect their political ambitions or whether they can proceed with their campaigns while the party's leadership dispute is being resolved.