Former vice-president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar says he remains in Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race despite a Federal High Court judgment affecting his Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) nomination.
Abubakar made the remarks in a statement dated November 6, rejected the ruling as unable to erase his place in the contest.
The judgment was delivered the previous day, November 5, by Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja, in a suit concerning ADC leadership.
Lifu nullified the David Mark-led party leadership and decisions taken under it, including the primary that produced Atiku as its candidate.
Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu’s government of trying to weaken the opposition.
Those claims are his political allegations; the court decision itself addressed the legality of the ADC leadership and its actions.
Atiku Says He Will Remain in the Race
Atiku’s statement urged Nigerians not to confuse the court ruling with the will of voters.
He insisted that neither the judgment nor what he called political manoeuvres would silence his campaign or prevent voters choosing their leaders.
“We are on the ballot,” Atiku declared, presenting the phrase as a promise to supporters and a challenge to the ruling party.
The court’s decision, however, has left the legal status of the ADC nomination uncertain pending any appeal or further court order.
Atiku said he would not abandon supporters or the campaign, and vowed to resist what he described as a one-party-state agenda.
He urged Nigerians to remain calm and united, and called on them to exercise their voting rights in January 2027.
His message followed a Federal High Court judgment that invalidated the Mark-led leadership and nominations made under its authority.
What the Federal High Court Decided
Justice Lifu ruled in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC deputy national chairman who challenged the party’s leadership transition.
The court declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and nullified actions taken under its authority, including Atiku’s nomination.
The ruling also affected other ADC candidates, potentially putting the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections at risk.
Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise decisions taken at the party’s July 2025 national executive meeting.
The full enrolled court orders had not been independently examined in reporting available immediately after the judgment.
Atiku and the ADC argue that an earlier judgment from a court of equal standing had addressed the same leadership dispute.
On July 2, Justice Musa Liman dismissed a separate challenge to Mark’s leadership, citing jurisdiction, standing and internal party remedies.
Liman also ruled that the transfer of leadership to Mark and Rauf Aregbesola complied with the ADC constitution and Electoral Act.
Atiku’s camp says the later ruling cannot simply displace that earlier decision, but the cases involved different claimants.
The legal relationship between the two judgments, and their effect on the party’s candidates, will require judicial resolution.
Atiku Accuses APC of Avoiding a Free Contest
Atiku framed the judgment as part of what he called a broader effort to weaken opposition parties and limit political competition.
He alleged that the APC was relying on political pressure, courtroom manoeuvres and other tactics rather than defending its record before voters.
The statement also alleged attempts to compromise the voter register through false names and AI-generated photographs.
No supporting evidence for that specific voter-register allegation was included in the statement or the reports reviewed.
Atiku argued that a genuinely confident governing party should welcome a free and fair contest rather than seek to constrain opponents.
The APC and Tinubu were not quoted responding to the specific claims in Atiku’s statement.
The former vice-president further warned that political efforts to reduce competition could push Nigeria towards a one-party state.
That warning reflects Atiku’s political interpretation of events and is not a finding made by the court.
The ADC has also rejected the judgment, accused the APC of interference, and said it would challenge the decision.
The faction led by Bala Gombe, who brought the suit, welcomed the ruling and said it upheld party rules.
Economic Hardship Remains Central to His Message
Atiku used the statement to return attention to economic hardship, which he described as a central issue in his campaign.
He criticised the government’s removal of fuel subsidies, saying it lacked a plan to protect households from resulting cost increases.
He also pointed to the naira’s decline, rising food prices, business closures and insecurity as evidence of government failure.
These points form Atiku’s critique of the administration; the statement did not provide new economic data or detailed policy proposals.
He said families were struggling to afford food and fuel, and urged supporters not to lose hope.
The message aligns with his campaign’s “Affordable Life” theme, which has focused on the cost of living.
Atiku launched his campaign in Sokoto on November 4, a day before the ruling, and said rallies would continue.
His campaign council said the outreach would proceed in Kebbi and other states while lawyers pursued legal remedies.
Atiku’s statement does not specify what immediate legal applications have been filed or whether a stay has been granted.
Appeal, Campaign and the January Vote
Atiku pledged to appeal the judgment, while his campaign council said lawyers were preparing to seek a stay of execution.
An appeal could test the legal reasoning, the scope of the orders, and the relationship with the earlier Liman judgment.
Until a higher court intervenes, the ruling creates uncertainty over the ADC’s nominations, including Atiku’s presidential candidacy.
Atiku nevertheless told supporters that the campaign would continue and urged them to remain peaceful and focused.
He cast the January 2027 election as the ultimate opportunity for voters to deliver their judgment on the government.
The election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to reporting on the national election timetable.
His statement’s title—“Bola cannot use the courts to escape the people’s verdict”—turns the dispute into a direct campaign challenge.
But the assertion “I’m on the ballot” is Atiku’s position, not a settled legal conclusion after Lifu’s ruling.
Whether his nomination remains valid will depend on the outcome of appeals and any further orders affecting INEC’s recognition.
For now, the ADC faces a combination of courtroom uncertainty and a campaign determined to continue in public.
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