The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has stated that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will participate in the 2027 general elections. However, he warned that candidates produced by the David Mark-led faction, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, may not appear on the ballot if the Supreme Court upholds the judgment nullifying their emergence. Keyamo made the clarification in a post on his verified X handle.
Keyamo accused those suggesting that the court ruling had effectively shut the ADC out of the elections of spreading misinformation. He explained that the judgment affected the leadership structure under which Atiku and other candidates emerged, rather than the party's existence or its eligibility to participate in the elections. The minister questioned the protests following the ruling, arguing that candidates who emerged through the party's original leadership structure should not be treated as less entitled to contest elections.
The judgment in question was delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, on November 5, 2026. The court nullified the emergence of the Mark-led national leadership and invalidated decisions taken under its authority, including the process that produced Atiku as the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 election. The judgment followed a prolonged leadership dispute over who was constitutionally entitled to control the ADC after the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
The crisis stemmed from a political realignment among opposition figures seeking a common platform ahead of the 2027 elections. The ADC became the vehicle for the coalition, with prominent politicians, including Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and Atiku, aligning with the party. On July 29, 2025, the party's 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting produced a new leadership structure headed by Mark as national chairman, with Aregbesola emerging as national secretary.
However, Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman of the party, challenged the transition, arguing that he was constitutionally entitled to assume leadership after Nwosu's resignation. Gombe instituted a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to invalidate the Mark-led leadership's decisions and actions. The Mark-led faction disputed Gombe's claim to the leadership, arguing that he was no longer deputy national chairman when Nwosu resigned.
The legal battle passed through several stages, including proceedings at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The apex court eventually directed that the substantive dispute be returned to the Federal High Court for determination, paving the way for Justice Lifu to hear the matter. The outcome of the pending appeals is expected to determine which leadership structure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will recognise and, consequently, the validity of candidates nominated under the competing factions.
Keyamo's intervention has added a fresh dimension to the debate by distinguishing the ADC's continued participation in the elections from the status of candidates produced by the Mark-led leadership. He said the party remains eligible to field candidates, but the fate of Atiku and others nominated under the disputed structure will depend on the final judicial determination of the leadership dispute. INEC has said it would not take a position on the leadership dispute until it obtains and studies the certified true copy of the judgment.
Key points
- The African Democratic Congress will participate in the 2027 general elections.
- The candidacy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is uncertain due to the court ruling.
- The outcome of the pending appeals will determine which leadership structure INEC will recognise.
