Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of leveraging a recent Federal High Court judgment to undermine his presidential bid for 2027. Abubakar, who is contesting under the banner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed that the legal development is a calculated strategy to weaken his support base in Northern Nigeria and contain the opposition party’s growing political influence ahead of the next general elections.
The controversy centers on a judgment delivered on Thursday regarding the leadership of the ADC. Abubakar noted that the ruling came barely 24 hours after thousands of supporters gathered in Sokoto to welcome him for the launch of the ADC campaign. In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Abubakar insisted that the judicial outcome would neither derail the party’s campaign nor diminish its national appeal.
“The people of Sokoto came out in their thousands because they are hungry for change and believe in our promise to make life affordable again. What we witnessed in Sokoto is only the beginning. The people of Kebbi will have their say, and so will Nigerians across the country as our campaign moves forward,” Shaibu said on behalf of the former vice president.
Rejecting characterizations of his candidacy as a regional project, Abubakar argued that the current economic crisis has made his political message relevant across all regional boundaries. He stated that while his roots are in Northern Nigeria, his candidacy belongs to all Nigerians, emphasizing that hardship does not respect regional lines.
“Hunger and hardship do not respect regional boundaries. Nigerians across the country are suffering under this government, and they deserve a leader with a credible plan to make life affordable again,” he said.
Abubakar further challenged the legal basis of the new judgment, questioning why the leadership dispute was reopened despite an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The previous judgment, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, had dismissed the challenge to the David Mark-led leadership on grounds including jurisdiction and standing. Abubakar described the new filing as a "calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgment" and announced that the ADC intends to challenge this judicial maneuver at the Court of Appeal.
Despite the legal challenges, the former Vice President urged ADC supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding, declaring that the party’s mobilization efforts would continue uninterrupted. With the campaign train already in Kebbi, Abubakar called on supporters to spread the party’s message door to door, asserting, “There is no shaking.”
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
