APC accuses Atiku of hijacking ADC, tells party to resolve leadership crisis

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to resolve its internal leadership crisis rather than blame the ruling party for the Federal High Court judgement that nullified the leadership of former Senate President David Mark and the presidential nomination of Atiku Abubakar.

The APC also accused Atiku of orchestrating the takeover of the ADC to advance his presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Thursday that the Federal High Court in Abuja sacked the Mark-led leadership of the ADC and nullified the party’s primary election processes and candidates for the 2027 elections.

Titled “APC to ADC – Go sort out your internal mess, quit your senseless rants,” the ruling party accused the opposition party of attacking the judiciary whenever court decisions go against it while praising the courts when rulings favour its interests.

Mr Morka said the ADC had repeatedly accused the APC of colluding with the judiciary whenever judgements went against its leadership, describing the party’s reaction as an attempt to shift responsibility for its internal problems.

“Every time a court decides against the Senator David Mark-led factional African Democratic Congress (ADC), they accuse the All Progressives Congress (APC) of collusion and deprecate the judiciary. Every time a court decides in their favour, they hail the rule of law and extol the judiciary,” he said.

He maintained that the APC was neither a party to the case nor involved in the legal dispute that produced Thursday’s judgment.

“The case resulted from a legal challenge brought by ADC national officers victimised by the bare-faced heist of the party’s leadership by David Mark and his co-pirates to satisfy Atiku Abubakar’s quixotic presidential ambition,” he said.

Mr Morka argued that the emergence of the Mark-led leadership violated the ADC constitution and internal democratic processes, adding that the court had now affirmed the illegality of the leadership arrangement.

He said the opposition party should accept responsibility for the consequences of its leadership dispute rather than accuse the ruling party of influencing judicial decisions.

Court judgement

The APC’s statement followed Thursday’s judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which invalidated the leadership of the ADC under Mr Mark and the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its candidate for the 2027 election.

The court also nullified the positions of the party’s national officers, including its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State, and the candidates the party had presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the forthcoming elections.

Mr Lifu held that the Mark-led caretaker committee, which conducted the party’s presidential primary, was illegal.

The judgement followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-east), who challenged the process through which Mr Mark and other members of the party assumed leadership.

Mr Gombe argued that following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership.

He consequently asked the court to invalidate all decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mr Mark, Mr Aregbesola and other members of the caretaker committee from parading themselves as legitimate national officers.

The court upheld his claims and directed INEC not to recognise decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting of 27 July 2025 and subsequent actions, including the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The judgement means that, if higher courts uphold it, the ADC could be prevented from presenting candidates for elective positions in the 2027 elections.

ADC rejects judgement, threatens legal challenge

The judgement has triggered a fresh confrontation between the ADC and the ruling APC, with the opposition party accusing the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of attempting to weaken its chances ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC rejected the judgment, describing it as an attempt to frustrate the opposition and undermine Nigerians’ democratic rights.

The party also questioned the timing of the ruling, which came barely a day after Atiku launched his presidential campaign in Sokoto.

It alleged that the judgment had been prepared before Thursday and that the Sokoto rally merely hastened its delivery.

The party also cited an earlier judgment delivered on 2 July by Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court in Abuja, which it said affirmed the legitimacy of the Mark-led National Working Committee and directed INEC to recognise the party’s leadership.

The case, filed by Leke Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives, challenged the process through which Mr Mark and Mr Aregbesola assumed leadership of the party.

The ADC argued that Justice Lifu’s judgment conflicted with the earlier decision, insisting that a court of coordinate jurisdiction could not sit on appeal over or overturn the decision of another court of equal jurisdiction.

However, the two cases were instituted by different plaintiffs and raised separate legal challenges concerning the party’s leadership.

The ADC said it was awaiting the Certified True Copy of Thursday’s judgment to establish its precise terms and the extent of its implications.

In a further reaction on Friday, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council dismissed the judgment as an academic exercise, insisting that it would not stop Mr Abubakar’s campaign.

The council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party’s legal team had commenced the process of appealing the decision and would pursue all available legal remedies.

The council maintained that the July 2 judgment delivered by Justice Liman had already settled the dispute over the party’s leadership in favour of Mr Mark and Mr Aregbesola.

It also argued that the latest ruling could not override an existing judgment of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.

Atiku also said the party would challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, describing its timing as suspicious because it came shortly after the ADC’s campaign rally in Sokoto.

READ ALSO: Atiku insists he remains in 2027 race as APC denies court interference

APC asks ADC to appeal judgment

Reacting to the opposition’s allegations, Mr Morka urged the ADC to exercise its constitutional right of appeal rather than engage in what he described as partisan attacks against the ruling party and the judiciary.

He said Thursday’s judgment demonstrated the judiciary’s independence and the rule of law in Nigeria.

“If ADC is dissatisfied with that decision, it should exercise its constitutional right of appeal rather than engage in partisan mudslinging against our great Party and issuing threats to incite anarchy against the same Nigerians they claim they desire to govern,” he said.

The APC spokesperson also described the ADC as unfit to govern the country, arguing that a political party unable to resolve its internal disagreements could not effectively manage Nigeria’s affairs.

He said the APC and the Tinubu administration remained committed to protecting democracy, upholding the rule of law and delivering good governance.