A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared invalid the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for Nigeria's election on 16 January 2027, according to reports of the ruling on Thursday.
The party says it will appeal.
What the court decided
According to reports, the court found that the ADC national executive committee led by former Senate President David Mark was unlawfully constituted and had no authority to act for the party, and invalidated the presidential primary that produced Mr Abubakar as candidate.
The suit was brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC deputy national chairman, who challenged how the Mark-led leadership took control after national chairman Ralph Nwosu resigned.
Reaction
Mr Abubakar said in a statement: "The timing of this judgment is no coincidence." ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi called the ruling another attempt to cripple the opposition.
Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala said the governing APC "is not involved at all" in the leadership suit. Mr Abubakar had launched his campaign at a rally in Sokoto a day earlier.
We will update this story as the appeal and any electoral commission response emerge.
