The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared it will remain on the 2027 ballot despite a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the leadership structure under which its candidates emerged.
The party’s Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the ADC would challenge the ruling through all available legal channels.
He spoke during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday .
Ologbondiyan criticised the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, arguing that it conflicted with an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman on the party’s leadership dispute.
He warned that conflicting judgments by judges of the same Federal High Court could undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
“This topic is not just because I am a member of the ADC or because it is the ADC that is involved, but I always look prophetically towards our tomorrow as a country,” he said .
“Is this the legacy we are going to leave behind for those who are coming after us?”
Atiku Rejects Ruling, Vows to Stay in Race
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar declared he would not abandon his presidential ambition despite the judgment.
In a statement issued on Friday, Atiku said the ruling should not be mistaken for the wishes of Nigerians.
“Let no one mistake the latest court ruling for the will of the Nigerian people. No manipulation, conjecture or concoction can erase our place in this contest, silence our campaign or deny Nigerians the right to choose their future,” he declared.
Atiku accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using political pressure and judicial manoeuvres to weaken opposition parties.
He also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the voters’ register, accusing those in power of attempting to compromise the process through AI-generated photographs and fictitious identities.
“Those who boast of having thirty-two governors and claim to have bought, pressured or coerced leaders from other parties into their fold should have no reason to fear a free and fair contest,” he said.
Atiku vowed that neither court proceedings nor political intimidation would force him out of the race.
“I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot,” he said.
Keyamo Backs Judgment, Says Democracy Will Stand
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo threw his weight behind the judgment, insisting that judicial decisions must be respected.
In a post on X on Friday, Keyamo dismissed criticisms of the ruling, arguing that court judgments should be determined by facts and evidence rather than public sentiment.
“You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way. Heavens will not fall if a certain Atiku Abubakar is not on the ballot in 2027,” Keyamo stated.
He argued that the ADC remains an existing political party with its original leaders and members, who are equally entitled to participate in the political process.
Keyamo drew comparisons with previous Supreme Court decisions in the Bayelsa governorship dispute of 2020 and the Zamfara election controversy of 2019, both of which went against the APC but were accepted by the party.
The ADC leadership crisis followed a suit by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman, who challenged the process through which former Senate President David Mark and other officials assumed leadership.
On November 5, Justice Lifu nullified the Mark-led leadership and decisions taken under its authority, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
The ADC maintains that an earlier judgment by Justice Musa Liman on July 2, 2026, affirmed the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership.
