The possibility of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar being excluded from the 2027 presidential election has raised fresh concerns over the African Democratic Congress’ (ADC) ability to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The controversy followed comments by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who said the ADC would participate in the 2027 general elections, but candidates produced by the David Mark-led faction, including Atiku, might not make the ballot.
Keyamo said the party’s participation in the election was not in doubt, but the eligibility of candidates produced by the disputed leadership structure remained uncertain.
“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,” he said.
The minister’s position has thrown fresh attention on the leadership crisis rocking the opposition party and its implications for the coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, joined the ADC coalition ahead of the next general election and subsequently emerged as its presidential candidate.
However, his ambition is now entangled in a legal dispute over the party’s leadership.
Legal battle threatens ADC ticket
The crisis followed a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which nullified the David Mark-led National Working Committee of the ADC and invalidated decisions taken by the faction, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, was instituted by a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Gombe.
Gombe challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership, arguing that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
The judgment has created uncertainty over the party’s leadership structure and the validity of decisions taken under the disputed faction.
The ADC and Atiku have rejected the ruling and indicated their intention to challenge it in court.
The final outcome is expected to determine the fate of the disputed leadership structure and decisions taken under it.
Keyamo, however, argued that the court judgment did not automatically prevent the ADC from participating in the 2027 elections.
He also questioned why candidates produced under the Mark-led leadership should be allowed to contest when the legality of the structure that produced them was being challenged.
Atiku’s exclusion could unsettle opposition
Beyond the legal arguments, the possibility of Atiku’s exclusion presents a major political challenge for the opposition coalition.
Atiku remains one of the country’s most prominent opposition figures, having contested the presidency several times and maintained a substantial political following.
His possible absence from the ballot could force the ADC to reconsider its presidential strategy and potentially reopen the contest for its ticket.
It could also deepen disagreements among opposition leaders over who should lead the coalition against the APC in 2027.
For Atiku’s supporters, the central concern is whether the legal dispute could prevent the electorate from determining his political future through the ballot.
However, critics argue that political influence and ambition cannot override party constitutions, electoral regulations and established legal procedures.
The controversy has therefore raised broader questions about internal democracy, party administration and the credibility of the opposition’s preparations for the next general election.
‘Heaven will not fall’ – APC chieftain
Meanwhile, a lawyer and APC chieftain, Hassan Dotun, said Nigeria’s democracy would not collapse if Atiku failed to appear on the 2027 presidential ballot.
In a proposed comment yet to be independently confirmed, Dotun said no individual was indispensable to the country’s democratic process.
“Heaven will not fall if Atiku Abubakar is not on the ballot in 2027. No individual is indispensable to Nigeria’s democracy.
“The country is bigger than any politician, and the electoral process must be guided by the law, not sentiments or the political influence of individuals,” he said.
He added that political parties must learn to obey their constitutions and follow due process.
“If the courts eventually determine that the process through which a candidate emerged was not in accordance with the law, the decision should be respected,” Dotun said.
INEC awaits court documents
The Independent National Electoral Commission has also said it would await and study the certified true copy of the court judgment before taking a position on the dispute.
The commission’s position leaves the immediate political uncertainty unresolved as the legal battle continues.
For the ADC, the challenge is twofold: resolving its leadership crisis and maintaining the unity of an opposition coalition seeking to unseat the ruling party.
If the courts ultimately invalidate the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate, the party could be forced to make fresh decisions about its ticket.
The outcome could also shape the calculations of other opposition figures seeking to build a common platform against Tinubu.
Ultimately, the courts will determine the legal consequences of the judgment.
But the political consequences of the dispute are already becoming a major test of the ADC’s preparedness for the 2027 elections.
