Atiku: Nothing Will Keep Me Off 2027 Ballot, ADC Heads to Appeal Court

***Former VP tells Tinubu: You can’t use courts to escape Nigerians’ verdict **

***ADC seeks stay of execution, warns INEC against pre-empting appeal*Go and sort out your internal problems, APC fires back **

***Heaven will not fall if Atiku is not on ballot, says Keyamo **

*Coalition describes judgment as dangerous escalation

Chuks Okocha, Alex Enumah and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

As political intrigues gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar yesterday declared that nothing would stop him from contesting, insisting that he would be on the ballot.
The declaration came as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which nullified the party’s congresses and sacked the National Executive Committee led by Senator David Mark. The judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, recognised an aggrieved party chieftain and former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC, Nafiu Bala Gombe, as the authentic leader of the party. Justice Lifu had, in the judgment delivered on Thursday, nullified all actions taken by the Mark-led executive, declaring them unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal, null and void. The judge held that the Mark-led executive emerged through an unlawful process and should not be recognised by INEC.

Furthermore, the Mark-led ADC in its appeal, warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against taking any action that could pre-empt the outcome of its appeal.
While the ADC accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly trying to destabilise the opposition party, the ruling party denied involvement in its internal crisis and urged it to resolve its problems.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said heaven would not fall if Atiku did not appear on the ballot in the 2027 general election.

Equally, the National Executive Committee Chairmen Forum of the ADC loyal to Gombe, threatened to embark on a nationwide protest against INEC if it fails to comply with Thursday’s court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis.
In a statement posted on his verified X account, Atiku said: “Let no one mistake the latest court ruling for the will of the Nigerian people. No manipulation, conjecture or concoction can erase our place in this contest, silence our campaign or deny Nigerians the right to choose their future. We are on the ballot, and the people must be allowed to decide.

“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. Yet, instead of presenting their record to Nigerians, they continue to deploy every tactic available to weaken the opposition: political pressure, manufactured narratives, courtroom manoeuvres and attempts to compromise the voters’ register with AI-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities. These are not the actions of people confident in their record. They are calculated attempts to make genuine competition impossible and push Nigeria towards a one-party state.

“And what record do they have to defend? This government removed the fuel subsidy overnight without a plan to protect Nigerians. It presided over the steep decline of the naira and allowed food prices to rise beyond the reach of ordinary families. Factories and small businesses have shut their doors. Our young people are leaving in search of hope, while bandits and kidnappers continue to hold communities hostage.
“Look around you. Market stalls stand empty. Feeding your family has become a daily struggle. Fuel prices keep rising, and silent pain fills homes across the country. Those in power may want you to believe that your suffering does not matter. They may want you to surrender your future before you even reach the ballot box. Do not lose heart. Do not retreat. Your vote is your power, and together, we will take our country back.

“Let me be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with us: 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.
“We will resist with all our strength every attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. Nigeria belongs to all its people. Our democracy must remain open to more than one party and more than one voice. If those in power believe in their numbers and their record, let us meet at the polls in a free, fair and credible contest.

“Our campaign will continue. Our message on the cost of living will not be silenced or derailed. Stay calm, united and resolute. Together, we will fight for a Nigeria where life is affordable and every citizen’s vote counts.
“Let me say this plainly: Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box,” Atiku stated.

ADC Appeals Judgment, Seeks Stay, Writes INEC

The Mark-led ADC has appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which sacked the party’s National Executive Committee led by Senator David Mark.
The group also applied for a stay of execution of the judgment delivered by Justice Lifu.
Barely 24 hours after the judgment, the ADC approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision and applied for an order halting its implementation pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

The notice of appeal and motion for stay, dated November 6, were filed on behalf of the ADC by its team of lawyers led by Shaibu Enejoh Aruwa, SAN. The party also notified INEC of the appeal and its application for a stay of execution.
In a letter to the commission, the lawyers said: “We are counsel to the ADC, the 1st Defendant in the above-mentioned suit.
“Recall that the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, delivered its judgment in the aforementioned suit in favour of the plaintiff thereof on November 5, 2026.
“The 1st Defendant, being dissatisfied with the said judgment of the Federal High Court, has filed a Notice of Appeal against the judgment at the Court of Appeal. A copy of the Notice of Appeal dated November 6, 2026 is annexed for your confirmation and same is marked as Annexure ‘A’.

“The 1st Defendant has also filed Motion on Notice at the Federal High Court for the Stay of Execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on November 5, 2026, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal at the Court of Appeal. A copy of the Motion on Notice for Stay of Execution dated November 6, 2026 is annexed for your confirmation and same is marked as Annexure ‘B’.
“We therefore write to bring to your attention that the plaintiff, Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, is aware of the appeal filed by the 1st Defendant, African Democratic Congress (ADC), as well as the Motion on Notice for Stay of Execution. The Motion on Notice for the Stay of Execution is yet to be taken by the Honourable Court.

“In view of the foregoing, we enjoin the Commission to stay further action on the subject matter of the suit pending the hearing and determination of the appeal now pending at the Court of Appeal,” the letter read.
Justice Lifu had held that the emergence of Senator Mark as ADC chairman, as well as the other members of his executive, violated the party’s constitution and guidelines.
Gombe had approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, to challenge the emergence of the Mark-led executive. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, he claimed that following the resignation of the former National Chairman of the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was qualified to assume the party’s leadership.

He had asked the court to restrain the defendants from parading themselves as leaders of the party, arguing that the process that produced them violated constitutional provisions and the ADC’s guidelines.
Those sued included the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC and the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
The defendants had urged the court to dismiss the suit for being incompetent and lacking in merit, arguing that the matter concerned the internal affairs of a political party and was therefore outside the court’s jurisdiction.

However, Justice Lifu granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiff and declared unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, all actions and decisions taken by the Mark-led executive on behalf of the party.
The congresses and convention that produced Atiku and other candidates seeking elective offices at the state and federal levels were conducted by the Mark-led National Executive.
The ADC Director of Strategic Communications, Phrank Shaibu, said the party had also formally notified INEC of the appeal and urged the commission to refrain from taking further action on the matter.

He said: “The application for a stay has not yet been determined. INEC must therefore exercise restraint. It must not act as though the appeal and stay application do not exist, or take any step that could pre-empt the Court of Appeal and undermine the proper resolution of this matter. The Commission must respect the judicial process and allow the appellate court to hear the case.
“The ADC is exercising its lawful right to appeal. The judgment is now under challenge before a higher court, and the legal process must be allowed to run its course. We expect INEC to uphold the law and take full account of the pending proceedings before making any consequential decision.

“To our members, supporters and Nigerians who believe in democracy: remain calm, steadfast and confident. This is not the end of the road. The ADC is taking every lawful step to defend its rights, and we will not be intimidated or distracted from that responsibility. Our commitment to Nigerians and to their right to choose remains firm.
“Our campaigns continue without interruption. There is no stopping the affordability train or our mission to make life better for Nigerians. We will keep taking our message to the people as we pursue every lawful avenue to defend our rights.
“We are confident that the facts and the law will receive a full hearing. The ADC will continue to pursue this matter through the courts and stand for a democratic process in which every party and every voter is treated fairly,” Shaibu stated.

Keyamo: Heaven Will Not Fall if Atiku Is Not on 2027 Ballot

Keyamo has said heaven will not fall if former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar does not appear on the ballot in the 2027 general election.
In a post on X, Keyamo said political actors must respect judicial decisions rather than abuse judges or blackmail the judiciary whenever judgments do not favour them.
He cited the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision nullifying the victory of the APC governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, David Lyon, a day before his scheduled swearing-in.
He recalled that Lyon was inspecting the stadium prepared for his inauguration when the judgment was delivered, adding that the APC accepted the decision with equanimity.

Keyamo also referenced the Supreme Court’s 2019 judgment that removed APC candidates who had won elections in Zamfara State, from the governorship to the House of Assembly, and replaced them with candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said Atiku had defended the judiciary following the Zamfara judgment, which went against the ruling party at the time.
Quoting the former vice-president, he said: “That judgment was against the ruling party. We took it on our chins.”
Keyamo added: “You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way.”
He concluded: “Heavens WILL NOT FALL IF A CERTAIN ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOT ON THE BALLOT IN 2027.”

APC to ADC: Go and Sort Out Your Internal Mess

The APC, however, denied involvement in the ADC’s crisis, accusing the opposition party of blaming it whenever it suffered a legal setback instead of resolving its internal problems.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said Thursday’s judgment by Justice Lifu, which sacked the Mark-led leadership of the ADC, was self-inflicted.
He said the nullification of all official acts of the party’s leadership, including its primary election processes and outcomes, resulted from its lawlessness and demonstrated the vibrancy of the rule of law and independence of the judiciary.
Morka added that if the ADC was dissatisfied with the decision, it should exercise its constitutional right of appeal rather than engage in partisan mudslinging against the APC and issue threats capable of inciting anarchy.

He said the ADC hailed the rule of law and extolled the judiciary whenever court decisions favoured it.

Morka said: “In their warped reckoning, only courts and judges that side with them are worthy while those that rule differently are a menace to society. That is senselessness in the extreme.

“The court judgment that has sent the ADC in a tailspin had to do with a notorious case initiated by leaders of ADC against pirate leaders of ADC.

“To be clear, APC is neither a party nor an interlocutor in the matter. Nothing about the case has anything to do with the APC. And the APC has absolutely no role in the party’s judicial quagmire.

“The case resulted from a legal challenge brought by ADC national officers victimised by the bare-faced heist of the party’s leadership by David Mark and his co-pirates to satisfy Atiku Abubakar’s quixotic presidential ambition.

“It didn’t matter to them that their hostile takeover of that party was in flagrant violation of the rule of law and ADC’s internal democracy, as a court of competent jurisdiction has now declared.

“Now they lash out in a fit of rage at the court and innocent spectators for the judicial outcome that was the inevitable consequence of their reckless political misadventure.”

Morka said the ADC had peddled conspiracy theories without taking responsibility for what he described as a self-inflicted injury that the court had judicially certified.

He described the ADC as a decrepit party, adding that it was unfit to be taken seriously by Nigerians.

He said the APC and President Bola Tinubu’s administration remained committed to preserving democracy, upholding the rule of law and delivering good governance.

ADC Chairmen Threaten Protest, demand Mark’s removal

The National Executive Committee Chairmen Forum of the ADC loyal to Gombe has threatened to embark on a nationwide protest against INEC if it fails to comply with the court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis.

The forum also called on INEC to immediately replace the names of Senator David Mark and members of his dissolved Interim National Working Committee on its portal with those of Nafiu Bala Gombe and other party officials it described as legally recognised.

It also urged the Commission to reopen its portal to enable it conduct fresh primaries, where necessary, and upload its candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The Secretary of the forum, Kennedy Odion, made the demands while addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday.

Odion described the ruling as a vindication of the forum’s position that the Mark-led leadership was not constitutionally recognised.

“We, the only legally recognised NEC members, accept in its entirety the judgment declaring our own Alhaji Nafiu Bala Gombe the authentic national chairman of the ADC.

“Failure to comply with this latest judgment will leave us no option but to proceed with our planned nationwide protest against the electoral umpire. Nigeria is for all of us. No individual, however highly placed, is above the law,” Odion said.

Ologbondiyan: ADC Will Be on Ballot Despite Court Ruling

The Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan, has assured that the party will participate in the 2027 general election despite the Federal High Court judgment invalidating the process through which its leadership emerged.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS yesterday, he said the party would pursue all available legal options to challenge the judgment, dismissing suggestions that the ADC would resort to actions capable of destabilising the country if prevented from participating in the election.

Ologbondiyan criticised the judgment delivered by Justice Lifu, arguing that it contradicted an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman on the party’s leadership dispute.

He described the development as a threat to the country’s judicial system and questioned the implications of conflicting judgments on the same matter.

He said: “This topic is not just because I am a member of the ADC or because it is the ADC that is involved, but I always look prophetically towards our tomorrow as a country. I mean, is this the legacy we are going to leave behind for those who are coming after us?

“That we will have a situation back to the days of old? A situation that the late General Sani Abacha pointed to in removing the Shonekan government from office, because judges and justices were busy producing conflicting judgments. Is that where we are going back to?”

Ologbondiyan alleged that the ruling was intended to frustrate the party’s growing political activities, particularly following its campaign outing in Sokoto State.

He said: “Those who said that the ADC and the presidency are rattled are speaking to the fact. They are rattled. They have done everything possible to halt our campaign in Sokoto, including the unimaginable, and we have bypassed all that.

“We had a rally that was mammoth, which Nigerians are commending at this moment.

“And not just that, Dr Abati, it will interest you to know that the dimension which Atiku Abubakar and the ADC introduced to campaigning yesterday has not been seen since 2003, which is a street-to-street campaign. Moving through communities, stopping at every community, talking to the people and addressing them.

“So, I believe, like many Nigerians have said, that they are scared of this dimension of campaigning, of reaching out and being everywhere you go.

“Because of that, they believe that the only thing they can do is to remove the ADC from the electoral process. But that in itself will go nowhere, Dr Abati. It will not go anywhere. The ADC will be in this election.”

On the legal dispute surrounding the party’s leadership, Ologbondiyan questioned why the earlier judgment by Justice Liman was allegedly disregarded in the subsequent proceedings before Justice Lifu.

He said: “How do you forego a judgment because it doesn’t favour you? You go and hire another judge to produce for you another judgment. And that is the case that we have on our hands now.

“Justice Musa Liman, arising from the matter brought by my brother to the court, dismissed the matter. He didn’t even bother to appeal the judgment because if he went on appeal, he would have been caught out. So, he abandoned the matter.

“So, Justice Liman, when you came, we pointed out to your legal representatives that your brother, judge, your brother on the same bench, had delivered a judgment in this matter. And this is the position of the judgment.

“You threw it through the window and said it doesn’t matter. Nobody can stop me.”

The ADC spokesperson said he was reluctant to make sweeping comments about members of the judiciary, despite his reservations about the handling of the case.

He also addressed the party’s unsuccessful attempt to have Justice Lifu recuse himself from the proceedings, saying the ADC had petitioned the Chief Judge over its concerns about the judge’s handling of the matter.

He said: “We did petition the Chief Judge of the court.

“We said we no longer have confidence. We pointed out that this matter that you are taking on has been decided by your brother. He said no, he must hear you.

“Even after his engagement with the higher court, because of ADC, he said he was going to hear it. He cannot be stopped.

“We said, okay, it is not the case of all of you. We no longer have confidence in the court.”

Ologbondiyan also questioned the circumstances surrounding the emergence of the party’s leadership, alleging inconsistencies in the position taken by some individuals involved in the process.

He referred to the resignation of a party official ahead of the coalition process and his subsequent attendance at the inauguration of the new leadership.

He said: “Dr Ubala resigned his appointment to allow the decision of their head there for the party to come, for the coalition to come to the party. He did.

“Now, he even attended the inauguration. He was physically there. I saw him.

“He came back and said, ‘Oh, my signature was poor.’ No proof. Nothing.

“This was proof for Justice Lifu. Every heavy evidence I took for Justice Lifu, they were thrown out. He had just one purpose, and that is the purpose that he delivered yesterday.”

Despite his criticism of the judgment, Ologbondiyan reiterated that the party would follow the legal process and would not support any action aimed at destabilising Nigeria.

He said the ruling had generated concern among party supporters and Nigerians who had invested their time and resources in the ADC’s political activities.

He said: “I believe, like many Nigerians, that in the last 12 hours, I have got more than 100 calls from Nigerians asking, ‘What’s the direction? What are we doing at this time?’

“We will definitely follow a legal process. But a number of Nigerians who are putting in their resources, who are putting in their time, who are campaigning across the length and breadth of Nigeria, one character, with a stroke of the pen, says that he has displaced them.

“I mean, where is the country going to?”

Coalition: FHC Judgment Dangerous Escalation

The Coalition for Democracy, an umbrella body of opposition political parties, has described the judgment of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which dissolved the Mark-led leadership of the ADC and invalidated its presidential candidacy, as a dangerous escalation and a systematic campaign to eliminate credible political opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.

The coalition emerged from the G100 Opposition Summit held in Abuja on August 31. Its members include the ADC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Youth Progressives Party (YPP).

It was established to give practical expression to the resolutions of the summit and is committed to defending Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, protecting political pluralism and ensuring free, fair, credible and competitive elections.

In a statement, the coalition warned that what was happening to the ADC could happen to every opposition party.

Its National Coordinator, Salihu Moh. Lukman, raised concerns over what he described as Nigeria’s shrinking democratic space, citing attacks on opposition supporters, obstruction of political activities and the increasing weaponisation of state institutions against political competitors.

Lukman said: “When opposition parties are attacked on the streets, frustrated by state institutions, and threatened with elimination through judicial pronouncements, Nigerians must ask whether the ruling party still intends to face any meaningful opposition at the ballot box.

“While the Coalition respects the independence of the judiciary and the right of aggrieved parties to seek legal redress, the courts must never become instruments through which political competition is extinguished.

“Those who seek to destroy the opposition in order to guarantee their own victory must understand that they are not merely threatening political parties; they are threatening the very foundations of the Republic. A government that cannot tolerate opposition has lost the moral authority to call itself democratic.”

He added: “When a government becomes more afraid of the opposition than it is accountable to the people, democracy itself is in danger. This is why the Coalition warns that the continued narrowing of the democratic space in Nigeria carries grave consequences for national stability. No democracy can remain peaceful when citizens are denied meaningful political alternatives.

“The ballot must remain the battlefield of democracy. No political party should be allowed to achieve through institutional manipulation what it fears it cannot achieve through the votes of Nigerians.

“We therefore stand in solidarity with the ADC in its decision to challenge this judgment through the appropriate judicial processes. We call on all opposition parties, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, organised labour, the media and patriotic Nigerians to unite in peaceful, lawful resistance against every attempt to undermine political pluralism.

“Let it be known: the Coalition for Democracy will not stand by while Nigeria is reduced to a democracy without opposition, elections without alternatives, and ballots without genuine choices.

“An attack on one is an attack on all. We will resist it together,” Lukman said