Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the Federal High Court judgment nullifying former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Obi warned that uncertainty surrounding political parties and their candidates close to an election could affect voters’ choices and create challenges for Nigeria’s democratic process.
The former Anambra State governor stated this on Thursday in a post on his verified X account, reacting to the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court had nullified the leadership of the ADC under former Senate President David Mark and invalidated decisions taken by the caretaker committee, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s flag bearer.
The ruling also affected the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s National Secretary and the nominations of other candidates presented by the ADC for the 2027 elections.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, described the judgment as unsettling but maintained that he was not questioning the authority of the judiciary to determine disputes.
He said, “I have received with shock the news of an order by the Federal High Court in Abuja nullifying the emergence of the Chairman of the African Democratic Congress and all the actions he has taken. This is unsettling and surprising.
“I do not challenge the ruling of the court. The court of law is constituted to determine disputes according to the law.
“My concern is that three months before a general election, it is in the public interest to have certainty. It is not good to have too many uncertainties about candidates and parties a few weeks before a presidential election.”
The NDC presidential candidate alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress was contributing to instability within opposition parties, drawing parallels with the internal crisis that affected his former party, the Labour Party.
He also accused the ruling party of using similar approaches to restrict civic space and frustrate opposition political activities.
“One mark of democracy is that at all times, it is voters and not courts that choose leaders. I trust in the judiciary. As a public officer, I have shown deep respect for the judiciary,” Obi said.
He called for the protection of opposition politics, citing military takeovers in some West African countries as a reason for strengthening democratic institutions in Nigeria.
“The sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, in the midst of encroaching military rule in West Africa, should strengthen our resolve to protect opposition politics and not stamp out opposition parties,” he said.
Obi added that if elected president, he would prioritise the stability of opposition parties and ensure that their candidates were not subjected to persecution that could prevent them from participating in elections.
The development comes amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election. Obi and Atiku were among opposition figures who joined the ADC coalition in 2025 to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
However, Obi and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, left the ADC in May 2026 to join the NDC, citing concerns over internal party issues. Obi subsequently emerged as the NDC presidential candidate, with Kwankwaso as his running mate.
Atiku, on the other hand, secured the ADC presidential ticket in May 2026 before the latest court judgment invalidated the process that produced him.
The suit was filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman, North-East, who argued that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following the resignation of former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
The court upheld Gombe’s claims, finding that the Mark-led caretaker leadership violated the ADC constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The ADC has vowed to appeal the judgment, while Atiku has also indicated his intention to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
