Madar (Abuja) - A federal court in Abuja on Thursday, November 5, 2026, invalidated former vice president Atiku Abubakar's nomination as presidential candidate of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), about two months before the vote scheduled for January 16, AFP reported, citing the party.
The ruling stems from a dispute over the party's leadership: the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, found that the leadership headed by David Mark had not been lawfully constituted and set aside its decisions, including the May primary that chose Abubakar, in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman of the party, Africa Briefing reported.
"The decision just came this morning," ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi told AFP. Speaking on Channels Television, as reported by Vanguard, he said the party would return to the same court, apply for a stay of execution and appeal, warning that if the ruling stands the ADC could be barred from fielding candidates in presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections.
The judgment came a day after Abubakar launched his campaign at a rally in Sokoto state; he said the timing was no coincidence, while the ruling All Progressives Congress denied any involvement in the suit, according to Africanews. The Independent National Electoral Commission, which had validated his candidacy, did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.
Abubakar came second in the 2023 presidential election with 29 percent of the vote, behind Bola Tinubu, who won with 36.6 percent helped by a split opposition. If he cannot run, the election would have no major candidate from the north, a sensitive issue in Nigeria's regional politics, the agency said.
