Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has stated that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will appear on the ballot for the 2027 general elections, despite a recent court ruling that nullified the party’s current leadership. However, Keyamo cautioned that candidates nominated under the leadership of David Mark, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, may not be eligible to contest if the Supreme Court upholds the lower court’s decision.
In a post on X on Sunday, Keyamo addressed public concerns that the Federal High Court judgment would effectively disqualify the ADC from participating in the upcoming polls. “For the education of the public, those raising false alarm that the court judgment on ADC means the Party will not be on the ballot are spreading misinformation,” he wrote. He clarified that while the party itself remains eligible, the specific slate of candidates associated with the Mark-led faction faces potential exclusion pending the final judicial determination.
The comments follow a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, which voided the leadership of the ADC under David Mark and invalidated all decisions made by that faction. This includes the presidential primary that selected Atiku Abubakar as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election. The court’s decision has created significant uncertainty regarding the party’s electoral strategy and the validity of its current nominations.
Keyamo questioned the rationale behind the protests against the judgment, arguing that the ruling should not be viewed as a denial of rights to the party’s original members. He challenged critics to consider the status of candidates who emerged from the party’s original leadership structure. “Therefore, the question we must ask those raising hell is that, are those Nigerians who successfully won their primaries under the faction of the original owners of the ADC lesser humans or lesser Nigerians than David Mark and Atiku Abubakar?” he asked.
The ADC and Atiku Abubakar have rejected the Federal High Court’s ruling, maintaining that the decision is flawed. The party has announced plans to appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal, a move that will likely prolong the legal battle over the party’s internal governance and candidate selection. The outcome of these legal challenges will ultimately determine which faction of the ADC is recognized by electoral authorities for the 2027 cycle.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
