Nwosu Insists Atiku Will Contest In 2027 Despite Court Judgment

Ralph Nwosu, former national chairman of the African Democratic Congress, has stated that Atiku Abubakar will contest the 2027 presidential election. This assertion comes despite a Federal High Court judgment that invalidated the party leadership that conducted Atiku's nomination. The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on November 5, arose from a suit by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the leadership transition and argued that he was entitled to take over after Nwosu's resignation.

Nwosu defended the transition to David Mark's leadership, rejecting allegations of forgery surrounding the process. He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of seeking to weaken the opposition. The APC has denied interfering in the dispute, maintaining that the case arose from disagreements within the ADC. Nwosu predicted that Atiku would win the presidential election and take office on May 29, 2027.

The dispute concerns the leadership arrangements through which the opposition coalition assumed control of the ADC in 2025. Justice Lifu's judgment invalidated decisions taken under Mark's leadership, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku. The ADC subsequently filed an appeal and applied for a stay of execution. Nwosu argued that an earlier Federal High Court decision already protected the legitimacy of Mark's leadership and the processes it conducted.

The earlier decision, delivered by Justice Musa Liman on July 2, 2026, arose from a separate suit brought by House of Representatives member Leke Abejide. Justice Liman dismissed that suit, holding that it concerned the internal affairs of a political party. Nwosu relied on that decision throughout his interview, saying it should prevail over Justice Lifu's later ruling.

Nwosu denied allegations of forgery surrounding Gombe's signature, saying the party had no involvement in forgery. He maintained that Gombe participated in the transition and signed the relevant documents. Nwosu also argued that INEC had witnessed the processes and initially submitted material confirming what took place, but later changed its position and withdrew its defense.

Nwosu accused INEC of undermining confidence in its conduct and called for the removal of INEC chairman Joash Amupitan. He alleged that the APC was responsible for the ADC's difficulties, citing INEC's involvement in the transition and inconsistencies in the treatment of the party's case. The APC has rejected that account, attributing the judgment to disagreements among ADC officials.

The ADC is experiencing difficulty obtaining a certified true copy of Justice Lifu's judgment, which Nwosu said was intended to frustrate Mark and the ADC's efforts to challenge the decision. The party's presidential campaign council had previously raised the same complaint, demanding the document's release so that affected parties could establish the precise terms of the orders and pursue their legal remedies.

Key points

• Atiku Abubakar will contest the 2027 presidential election despite a court judgment invalidating the ADC leadership that conducted his nomination.