ADC crisis: Atiku says 'I am in this race' as Mark faction appeals and party chairmen threaten INEC protest

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has insisted that he is still a candidate in the 2027 presidential election, despite Thursday's Federal High Court judgment that cancelled his nomination by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement issued from Sokoto on Friday, Atiku declared, "I am in this race." He accused President Bola Tinubu's government of using the courts and political pressure to weaken the opposition and push politicians to defect, and vowed to fight any move towards a one-party state. He also repeated claims that the voters' register had been tampered with using AI-generated photos and fake identities, but did not provide evidence.

The ADC leadership led by former Senate President David Mark has gone to the Court of Appeal to challenge the ruling by Justice Peter Lifu, and has asked for the judgment to be put on hold. It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to act on it until the appeal is decided.

On the other side, a group of ADC state chairmen, speaking through their secretary, Kennedy Odion, threatened nationwide protests if INEC does not enforce the judgment. They want Mark's team removed from INEC's records and replaced with the officials backed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, the former deputy national chairman who brought the case.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected claims that it was behind the court case. Its spokesman, Felix Morka, said the APC was not involved, described the dispute as an internal ADC fight, and accused Atiku and Mark of a hostile takeover of the party.

INEC had already listed Atiku and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, among the presidential candidates before the ruling. The commission has not yet said what it will do.