Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the recent court judgment purporting to remove Senator David Mark’s leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a calculated attempt to weaken the party and frustrate his presidential ambition.
Atiku made the position known in a statement signed by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu.
He questioned the timing of the judgment, noting that it came barely a day after a large crowd welcomed him in Sokoto during the launch of the ADC campaign.
The presidential candidate of the ADC noted that the turnout at the Sokoto rally demonstrated growing public support for the party and its promise to make life more affordable for Nigerians.
Atiku maintained that his presidential ambition was not limited to Northern Nigeria, stressing that his message of addressing hunger, hardship, and the rising cost of living resonated with Nigerians across the country.
He said that the court ruling was part of a strategy to weaken his support base in the North and frustrate a campaign whose message was gaining acceptance nationwide.
Atiku also raised legal concerns over the judgment, questioning why another case was instituted to challenge the David Mark-led ADC leadership after an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court.
He recalled that in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, the court had dismissed the challenge to the party leadership, upholding the defendants’ objections on jurisdiction, standing and failure to exhaust internal party remedies, while resolving the substantive issues in their favour.
Atiku described the subsequent litigation as an attempt to circumvent an existing judgment and vowed to challenge what he called a judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal.
He, however, urged ADC supporters to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding, warning against allowing the judgment to derail the momentum generated by the Sokoto rally.
Atiku disclosed that the party’s campaign train had moved to Kebbi and would continue across the country, reiterating that the ADC’s Affordable Life campaign would remain focused on addressing the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
He urged supporters to sustain the campaign at the grassroots level by taking the party’s message from house to house and door to door.
