Court Voids Atiku’s Candidacy, Sacks Mark-Led ADC Exco

The Lifu’s Verdict: Details of a judgment delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu and the response by the ADC

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked the Senator David Mark-led executives of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and invalidated all actions they took on behalf of the social gathering.

The actions included the nomination of a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, because the social gathering’s presidential candidate for the 2027 normal elections.

Atiku, whose identify was earlier printed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a candidate for the presidential ballot, has since chosen a former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as his operating mate.

However, in a judgment delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, the courtroom declared unlawful the Senator Mark-led Caretaker Committee of the ADC, which organised the first election that produced Atiku because the social gathering’s presidential flag bearer.

The courtroom discovered advantage in a go well with introduced earlier than it by the aggrieved former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the social gathering, Nafiu Bala Gombe.

Gombe had approached the courtroom to question the method by way of which the Senator Mark-led Committee took over the reins of management of the social gathering.

He maintained that, with the resignation of the previous National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he (Gombe) was certified to imagine the social gathering’s management.

Consequently, he, amongst different issues, prayed the courtroom to nullify all actions taken on behalf of the social gathering by the Senator Mark-led management.

Listed as defendants within the go well with, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, have been the ADC, INEC, Senator Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu.

The plaintiff additional urged the courtroom to restrain Senator Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as National Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of the ADC, insisting that their emergence violated the social gathering’s structure and the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The courtroom upheld the plaintiff’s declare and granted his reliefs, a verdict that would spark a series of reactions within the polity, with the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The ADC has already vowed to attraction the judgment.

Reacting to the result of the case, the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was later joined as an social gathering within the matter, mentioned the decision could be challenged on the appellate courtroom.

NOP NIGERIA