The presidential campaign team of Atiku Abubakar has announced plans to challenge a Federal High Court ruling that invalidated his nomination as the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and nullified the party’s current leadership structure.
In a statement from Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC campaign, Atiku expressed his intention to seek a stay of execution of the court’s decision. He criticized the ruling from Justice Peter Lifu, suggesting it was politically motivated and aimed at undermining his support base in Northern Nigeria.
Atiku, who recently launched his campaign in Sokoto, emphasized that his candidacy is focused on appealing to all Nigerians, despite his Northern origins. Following the court ruling, he articulated his commitment to continue his campaign efforts, including planned events in Kebbi State.
The court’s ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who contested the leadership of David Mark as party chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as secretary. The judgment invalidated decisions made under their leadership, including candidate nominations for the upcoming elections.
Atiku has claimed that this ruling contradicts a previous judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman, which upheld the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership. He argued that the new case represents a maneuver to disregard established legal precedents.
Furthermore, the ADC campaign council described Justice Lifu’s ruling as irrelevant and claimed that their legal team is taking measures to seek immediate relief from the decision. They stated that their campaign efforts would persist despite the ongoing legal challenges.
As the situation develops, the ADC has called on its supporters to remain steadfast in their campaign activities, claiming that no formal order has been made to execute the judgment against them.
