Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to challenge Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress led by former Senate President David Mark at the Court of Appeal.
Atiku said the judgment was aimed at weakening the opposition party and frustrating his ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election.
He also faulted the institution of another suit against the Mark-led leadership, noting that the same Federal High Court had previously ruled in its favour.
Atiku’s position was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, titled ‘The Panic Is Real — Atiku’.
The former Vice-President questioned the timing of the judgment, which came barely a day after a large crowd attended the ADC campaign rally in Sokoto State.
According to him, the turnout reflected Nigerians’ desire for political change and support for the party’s promise to address the rising cost of living.
“The people of Sokoto came out in their thousands because they are hungry for change and believe in our promise to make life affordable again.
“What we witnessed in Sokoto is only the beginning. The people of Kebbi will have their say, and so will Nigerians across the country as our campaign moves forward,” he said.
The former vice-president alleged that the judgment was designed to diminish his political strength in the North and disrupt the gains recorded at the Sokoto rally.
“The timing of this judgment is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to weaken my support in the North and frustrate a campaign whose message is resonating across the country,” he said.
Atiku, however, insisted that his presidential ambition had national support, noting that Nigerians across the country were grappling with economic hardship regardless of their location.
“My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians. There is a difference between being from the North and being a candidate only for the North. Hunger and hardship do not respect regional boundaries. Nigerians across the country are suffering under this government, and they deserve a leader with a credible plan to make life affordable again,” he added.
He further argued that the ruling party had underestimated the extent of his political support by assuming that his appeal was limited to the North.
“But the ruling party’s greatest miscalculation is to assume that my support ends in the North. What we saw in Sokoto, what we will see in Kebbi and across the country, is the strength of a national movement,” he said.
Speaking on the legal dispute, Atiku cited an earlier judgment by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered on July 2, 2026, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025.
He said the court had dismissed the challenge to the Mark-led leadership, upholding objections relating to jurisdiction, standing and failure to exhaust internal party remedies.
“Justice Musa Liman of the same Federal High Court had already dismissed the challenge to the David Mark-led leadership in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025. The court upheld the defendants’ objections on jurisdiction, standing and the failure to exhaust internal party remedies, and resolved the substantive issues in their favour,” he said.
Questioning the decision to reopen the dispute, Atiku described the latest judgment as an attempt to circumvent the earlier ruling.
“Why, after that judgment, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute? This is a calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgment. We will challenge this judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal,” he added.