Nigerian court sacks opposition leadership and rules Atiku Abubakar's nomination invalid

Nigeria's Federal High Court has sacked the leadership of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) party. In the same ruling, the court also declared the nomination of the party's presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, invalid.

In a statement, the ADC described the ruling as another desperate attempt to cripple the opposition. The ruling came only months before the elections.

Presidential elections are scheduled to take place on 16 January. President Bola Tinubu's main challengers in that election were again expected to be Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.

Several high-profile politicians joined the ADC in 2025, disillusioned by the factional infighting in the once powerful Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Among them were Abubakar, who served as vice-president between 1999 and 2007 when the PDP was in power, and former Senate president David Mark.

As accommodations were made for the line-up of political heavyweights, Mark took over as the party's interim chairman. But Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC national deputy chairman, argued before the court that this was not lawful, as Mark and others had not been elected at a national convention.

Gombe said he himself should have taken over the party's leadership following the resignation of the ADC's former chairman in 2025.

This is not the first time the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, has ruled on the leadership of the party. In July, Judge Musa Liman said Mark had been chosen in accordance with the country's laws and the party's constitution, in a case brought by another former ADC member.

Abubakar said the latest case raised serious legal concerns. He asked why, after that judgment, another case was filed to reopen the same dispute.

The ADC said Thursday's judgement by Justice Peter Lifu was aimed at stifling the opposition momentum and was a calculated attempt to weaken the ADC and frustrate Abubakar's candidacy. The party said it will challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

Abubakar, 79, said in a statement on Facebook that he would contest the election despite the ruling. He wrote that he wanted to be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with them: he is in this race, he is not going anywhere, they will be on the ballot, and no threat, blackmail or court manoeuvre will make him abandon them or the cause they share.

He had previously questioned the timing of the judgment, coming barely a day after a mammoth crowd turned out in Sokoto in northern Nigeria to welcome him as he launched his campaign.

Political parties in Nigeria have increasingly been taking internal issues to court. But as it stands, the electoral commission has issued its final list of candidates, and Abubakar is on the ticket for the ADC, with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.

The ADC is seen as the most powerful opposition to President Tinubu. Many influential politicians opposed to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have already defected to the party.

The legal saga could complicate things. It may cause uncertainty for hundreds of ADC candidates, as well as raise questions over who has the authority to represent them.

Peter Obi, the other main presidential candidate, said he was shocked by Thursday's high court ruling. He released a statement on X headed 'Do not undermine democracy'.

Obi, 65, said his concern was that three months before a general election, it is in the public interest to have certainty. Obi had briefly joined the ADC before leaving earlier this year to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in part because of the legal challenges within the ADC.

Obi said the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, in the midst of encroaching military rule in West Africa, should strengthen the resolve to protect opposition politics and not stamp out opposition parties. The NDC's candidate said that, as president, he would ensure the existence of opposition parties would be respected, and that this is a time to strengthen democracy by allowing the opposition to thrive.