NIGERIA: Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has insisted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will participate in the 2027 general elections, but warned that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates produced by the party’s David Mark-led faction may not appear on the ballot.
Keyamo said the fate of the candidates would depend on the final determination of the party’s leadership dispute by the Supreme Court.
The minister made the clarification in a post on his verified X account on Sunday, following concerns that a recent Federal High Court judgment nullifying the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC could prevent the opposition party from participating in the 2027 elections.
He described suggestions that the judgment had effectively excluded the ADC from the elections as misinformation, arguing that the court’s decision did not amount to a ban on the party.
“For the education of the public, those raising false alarm that the court judgment on ADC means the Party will not be on the ballot are spreading misinformation.
“The ADC will be on the ballot. It is the David Mark faction of candidates, including Atiku Abubakar, that may not be on the ballot (depending on the final judgment of the Supreme Court),” Keyamo wrote.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had on Thursday nullified the caretaker leadership of the ADC led by former Senate President David Mark.
The court also invalidated decisions taken by the caretaker committee, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The judgment followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the legitimacy of the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Reacting to criticism of the judgment, Keyamo questioned why Nigerians who emerged victorious in primaries conducted under the party’s original leadership structure should be denied the opportunity to contest elections.
He asked whether such candidates were less entitled to participate in the electoral process than those produced by the Mark-led faction.
“Therefore, the question we must ask those raising hell is that, are those Nigerians who successfully won their primaries under the faction of the original owners of the ADC lesser humans or lesser Nigerians than David Mark and Atiku Abubakar?” he queried.
Meanwhile, Atiku and the David Mark-led faction have rejected the judgment and indicated their intention to challenge it on appeal.
The development has introduced fresh uncertainty into the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, particularly regarding the validity of its presidential ticket.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also said it will not take a position on the leadership dispute until it obtains and studies the certified true copy of the court judgment.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission would deliberate on the matter at its next meeting.
The outcome of the pending legal proceedings is expected to clarify which faction has the authority to represent the ADC and nominate candidates for the 2027 elections.
