The African Democratic Congress has accused interests within the ruling All Progressives Congress of backing a legal challenge against its leadership to prevent the party from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Legal Adviser, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, made the allegation during an interview with Arise News on Thursday, describing the legal action as an attempt to weaken the ADC and discourage Nigerians who see the party as an alternative ahead of the elections.
Osunbor said the challenge was designed to undermine the confidence of party members and supporters, particularly those looking up to the ADC and its presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
He accused certain political interests of attempting to influence the country’s political process through the judiciary and other government institutions rather than allowing Nigerians to freely choose their leaders through the ballot.
The legal adviser also alleged that the case against the leadership led by former Senate President David Mark was sponsored by interests within the ruling APC.
He questioned the motivation of the claimant, Nafiu Bala Gombe, suggesting that the legal action might not have been instituted without political backing.
Osunbor further raised concerns over the reassignment of the case from Justice Emeka Nwite to Justice Peter Lifu, questioning the circumstances surrounding the development.
He maintained that the ultimate objective of the legal challenge was to prevent the ADC from conducting its primaries and presenting candidates for the 2027 elections.
The reaction followed Thursday’s ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the ADC National Working Committee led by David Mark and invalidated decisions taken by the party under the leadership.
The judgment also affected the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
However, Osunbor said the party would challenge the ruling after obtaining and reviewing the certified true copy of the judgment.
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He disclosed that the ADC planned to file a motion for a stay of execution and subsequently appeal the decision at the Court of Appeal.
Despite the court ruling, the legal adviser insisted that Atiku’s presidential ticket remained valid, citing previous court decisions which he said had recognized the David Mark-led National Working Committee.
When asked whether the party had an alternative candidate should its appeal fail, Osunbor described the possibility as hypothetical, saying the ADC had not formally met to consider the judgment.
He urged party members and supporters to remain committed to the ADC and continue their activities, insisting that the court decision should not discourage them ahead of the 2027 elections.
