Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of engineering the court judgment that nullified his 2027 presidential candidacy, vowing that no legal manoeuvre will keep him off the ballot or deny Nigerians a free and fair contest.
Atiku’s statement, issued in Sokoto on Friday, 6 November 2026, was a direct reaction to Thursday’s judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which sacked the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and invalidated all actions taken by the caretaker committee, including the primary that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
The court, ruling on a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC National Deputy Chairman (North-East), held that the Mark-led committee was illegally constituted following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu. Justice Lifu declared the committee’s actions illegal and voided Atiku’s nomination, even though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already published his name as the ADC candidate, with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
In his reaction, Atiku did not mince words. “Let no one mistake the latest court ruling for the will of the Nigerian people,” he said. “Bola cannot use the courts to escape the people’s verdict; we are on the ballot.”
The former Vice President alleged that the judgment was a “panic sign” from Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as part of a calculated strategy to weaken his support in the North and disrupt a campaign that had gathered momentum. He questioned the timing of the ruling, noting it came barely 24 hours after a large crowd attended his campaign rally in Sokoto State.
“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,” Atiku said. He also pointed to an earlier judgment by Justice Musa Liman of the same court, which he said had affirmed the Mark-led leadership, asking why a fresh suit was permitted to reopen the same dispute.
Beyond the court ruling, Atiku accused those in power of deploying “political pressure, manufactured narratives, courtroom manoeuvres and attempts to compromise the voters’ register with AI-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities.” He warned that such actions were calculated to make genuine competition impossible and push Nigeria towards a one-party state.
“Those who boast of having thirty-two governors and claim to have bought, pressured or coerced leaders from other parties into their fold should have no reason to fear a free and fair contest,” he said. “Instead of presenting their record to Nigerians, they continue to deploy every tactic available to weaken the opposition.”
Atiku also took aim at the Tinubu administration’s economic record, saying the government removed the fuel subsidy overnight without a plan to protect Nigerians, presided over the steep decline of the naira and allowed food prices to rise beyond the reach of ordinary families. He said factories and small businesses had shut, young people were leaving in search of hope, and bandits and kidnappers continued to hold communities hostage.
“Market stalls stand empty. Feeding your family has become a daily struggle. Fuel prices keep rising, and silent pain fills homes across the country,” he said.
Despite the legal setback, Atiku insisted he remains in the race. “I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot. No threat, blackmail or court manoeuvre will make me abandon you or the cause we share,” he declared.
He called on Nigerians not to lose heart and urged opposition parties to resist any attempt to turn the country into a one-party state. “If those in power believe in their numbers and their record, let us meet at the polls in a free, fair and credible contest,” he said.
The ADC has rejected the judgment and indicated it will challenge it at the Court of Appeal. The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, said the verdict would be contested at the appellate court. Atiku’s campaign council has also said its lawyers are preparing to seek a stay of execution.
Meanwhile, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo mocked Atiku and the ADC over the ruling, saying the law is decided on facts and evidence, not “sentiments and outrage.” He accused the Mark-led leadership of hijacking the party without following constitutional processes.
The judgment has cast uncertainty over the ADC’s preparations for the presidential election scheduled for 16 January 2027.