By Hosea Parah
Contrary to claims, African Democratic Congress (ADC) lawyer, Kalu Kalu, has stated that the Federal High Court’s nullification of Senator David Mark’s leadership does not affect Atiku Abubakar’s presidential candidacy, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kalu argued that the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu did not contain any order nullifying Atiku’s nomination or those of other candidates produced under the Mark-led leadership.
He stated this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, while addressing concerns about the implications of the ruling for the ADC’s participation in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
“There is no portion of that judgment that voids the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar and the other candidates of the party,” he said.
The lawyer insisted that the court did not specifically order the cancellation of Atiku’s nomination, adding that the judgment had been misrepresented in public discussions.
“The judgment of Honourable Justice Peter O. Lifu does not in any way void the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar for the presidential election coming up on the 16th day of January 2027,” he added.
Kalu attributed the controversy to interpretations circulating on social media, accusing commentators of reading conclusions into the judgment that were not expressly contained in its orders.
“It’s just people, the social media we have in Nigeria, just imported what is not explicitly stated in that judgment,” he said.
The controversy followed a November 5 judgment in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership after the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu and other party executives in July 2025.
Gombe argued that the vacancies created by the resignations should have been filled through a democratic process in line with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu nullified the emergence of Mark and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The judge also declared all actions, decisions and steps taken by Mark, Aregbesola and other members of the National Working Committee from July 29, 2025, null and void.
He subsequently restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or dealing with the affected officials as national officers of the party.
The court further directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025, where the Mark-led leadership emerged.
Justice Lifu ruled that the process through which the leadership emerged failed to meet the requirements for democratic elections under Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and violated provisions of the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution.
The judge also rejected a resignation letter allegedly written by Gombe, which the Mark-led faction had relied on to justify his exclusion from the party’s leadership structure.
According to the judge, a comparison of the signature on the disputed letter with those on Gombe’s sworn statements revealed material differences, making the document unreliable evidence of his voluntary resignation.
Although the court recognised Gombe as the only elected member of the party’s National Working Committee whose four-year tenure remained valid, it declined to declare him the substantive National Chairman automatically.