Atiku vows to appeal court judgement against his candidacy, seeks stay of execution

The presidential campaign council of Atiku Abubakar says its lawyers are preparing to seek a stay of execution of Thursday’s Federal High Court judgement invalidating his nomination as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate and nullifying the party’s David Mark-led leadership.

Atiku also rejected the ruling and promised to challenge it at the Court of Appeal, insisting that his campaign would continue in Kebbi State following Wednesday’s launch in Sokoto.

In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to use court proceedings to derail his presidential campaign.

“The timing of this judgment is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to weaken my support in the North and frustrate a campaign whose message is resonating across the country,” he said.

Atiku also disputed the portrayal of his candidacy as a Northern political project.

“My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians. There is a difference between being from the North and being a candidate only for the North,” he said.

Atiku interpreted the turnout at his Sokoto rally as a sign of support for his campaign’s promise to make living costs more affordable.

He said the ADC’s Affordable Life campaign would continue in Kebbi and other parts of the country despite the judgment.

Mr Shaibu published the statement on X after PREMIUM TIMES sought the campaign’s reaction.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the judgment in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman (North-East).

Mr Gombe challenged the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s national chairman and secretary, claiming that he was entitled to succeed former chairman Ralph Nwosu.

PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier on Thursday that the court invalidated the Mark-led leadership and decisions taken under it, including the nomination of candidates for the 2027 elections.

The complete enrolled orders have not been independently examined for this report.

Atiku argued that Thursday’s judgment conflicted with an earlier Federal High Court decision delivered by Justice Musa Liman on 2 July in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.

That case was brought by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, who also challenged the process through which Messrs Mark and Aregbesola assumed office.

Atiku said Justice Liman dismissed the case after considering questions of jurisdiction, standing and the failure to exhaust internal party remedies. He maintained that the earlier ruling also resolved substantive issues in favour of the Mark-led leadership.

“Why, after that judgment, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute? This is a calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgment. We will challenge this judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal,” he said.

The cases involved different claimants. PREMIUM TIMES has not examined both judgments to determine whether their orders conflict.

PREMIUM TIMES previously examined the ADC leadership dispute, including separate proceedings concerning the party’s leadership and congresses.

In a separate statement, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council described Justice Lifu’s judgment as an academic exercise that had been overtaken by events.

Its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the council’s legal team was taking steps to seek interim relief, including a stay of execution where legally applicable, before pursuing an appeal.

The statement did not confirm that a notice of appeal or stay application had been filed.

According to Mr Ologbondiyan, Justice Liman distinguished between a stakeholders’ meeting held on 2 July 2025 and a National Executive Council meeting on 29 July 2025, at which Messrs Mark and Aregbesola emerged as national officers.

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the latter meeting and maintained that the leadership transition complied with the ADC constitution.

PREMIUM TIMES has not obtained the judgment or INEC records to verify that account.

Mr Ologbondiyan also questioned the timing of Thursday’s ruling, contrasting what he described as an unsuccessful APC presidential campaign launch in Kaduna with the ADC’s rally in Sokoto.

Mr Ologbondiyan also alleged political interference in the proceedings but provided no evidence to substantiate the claim.

He cited an earlier ruling by Justice Lifu ordering the deregistration of the ADC and four other parties, which he said the Court of Appeal had overturned.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in June that the appellate court stayed the execution of that judgement. The reported order did not establish that the appeal had been finally determined.

That deregistration case was separate from Thursday’s ADC leadership dispute.

The campaign council maintained that Messrs Mark and Aregbesola remained the ADC’s legitimate national officers and urged supporters to continue campaigning.

The council did not identify any court order suspending Thursday’s judgment.

The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, had earlier rejected the judgement, accusing the APC of interference and warning that the ruling could affect other candidates.