Nafiu Gombe-Led ADC Warns Atiku Against Parading Himself as Presidential Candidate

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar against parading himself as the party's presidential candidate, citing a subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court. The warning was issued by the party's Six Zonal Leadership, led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who unanimously passed a vote of confidence in Gombe as the authentic and subsisting leadership of the party.

According to the party, a court of competent jurisdiction, presided over by Hon. Justice Peter Lifu, delivered a judgment on November 5, 2026, invalidating the leadership of Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola. The judgment, which is still subsisting, declared that the leadership produced by Mark and Aregbesola was invalid, and therefore, any candidacy flowing from it is without legal foundation.

The ADC leadership, through its Director of Media and Public Affairs, Dr. Christopher Okechukwu, urged Atiku to immediately stop presenting himself as the party's presidential candidate and to refrain from actions capable of undermining the authority of the court and the leadership of Nafiu Bala Gombe. The party warned that failure to comply would compel them to explore available legal options, including contempt of court proceedings and other civil and criminal processes permitted by law.

The leadership crisis in the ADC began when Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court voided the emergence of Senator David Mark and other executives who assumed control of the party in July 2025. The court rejected the document presented by the party, which argued that Bala voluntarily resigned from his position before the emergence of the leadership led by Mark.

Justice Lifu's judgment stated that the disputed resignation letter could not be accepted as reliable evidence that Bala had relinquished his position, as the signature on the letter was materially different from those on other documents submitted by Bala. The court also ruled that the ADC failed to prove that the appointment of Mark, Aregbesola, and other party officials followed the democratic election process required by law.

Bala had approached the court to challenge the emergence of Mark as national chairman and Aregbesola as national secretary, arguing that he was elected deputy national chairman on October 12, 2022, and remained the only elected member of the party's National Working Committee who had not resigned. The party's NEC had claimed that Bala had voluntarily resigned, but the court rejected this claim.

The ADC has reiterated that it will not stand by while its name, platform, and processes are used in defiance of a court of law, and that the law must be obeyed and the judgment respected. The party has given Atiku a formal warning to desist from parading himself as the presidential candidate of the ADC, and to cease all campaign activities and representations made in that capacity.

Key points

• The African Democratic Congress has warned Atiku Abubakar to stop presenting himself as the party's presidential candidate due to a subsisting court judgment invalidating the leadership that produced him.
• The court judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on November 5, 2026, declared that the leadership produced by Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola was invalid.
• The ADC has threatened to explore legal options, including contempt of court proceedings, if Atiku fails to comply with the warning.