ADC will contest 2027, but Atiku may be excluded – Keyamo

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will participate in the 2027 general elections, but former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates produced by the David Mark-led faction may not appear on the ballot.

Keyamo’s position comes amid the ADC’s renewed confidence following the mammoth crowd that welcomed Atiku during the party’s presidential campaign flag-off in Sokoto last Wednesday, where supporters repeatedly chanted, “Tinubu must go”.

The party’s Presidential Campaign Council described the turnout as evidence of growing public dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s administration and support for the ADC’s promise to make life more affordable.
It said Atiku’s motorcade took about three and a half hours to reach the rally venue from the airport because of the crowd that lined the route. <Cite refs={[“turn538806search1″,”turn538806search9”]}/>

The party had projected the rally as a demonstration of its growing political strength and its determination to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

However, Keyamo, in a post on his X handle on Sunday, argued that the recent Federal High Court judgment nullifying the Mark-led caretaker leadership did not disqualify the ADC as a political party from participating in the forthcoming elections.

He maintained that the ruling could affect candidates who emerged under the faction led by the former Senate President, including Atiku, depending on the final determination of the leadership dispute by the Supreme Court.

“For the education of the public, those raising false alarm that the court judgment on ADC means the Party will not be on the ballot are spreading MISINFORMATION.

“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 wrote.

The minister also questioned why candidates who secured their tickets under the faction he described as the original owners of the ADC should be denied the opportunity to contest.

“Are those Nigerians who successfully won their Primaries under the faction of the original owners of the ADC lesser humans or lesser Nigerians than David Mark and Atiku Abubakar?” he asked.

The comments followed Thursday’s judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the ADC caretaker committee led by Mark and invalidated decisions taken under its authority.

Justice Peter Lifu also set aside the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The judgment followed a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.

The ruling has further deepened the leadership crisis within the opposition party. The Mark-led faction and Atiku have rejected the decision and indicated plans to challenge it on appeal.

Keyamo had earlier dismissed concerns over Atiku’s possible exclusion from the presidential race, declaring on Friday that “heavens will not fall” if the former Vice-President was absent from the 2027 ballot.

Defending the court’s decision, the minister urged politicians to respect judicial pronouncements rather than attack judges whenever rulings go against their interests.

He cited the Supreme Court’s 2019 judgment on the Zamfara State elections, which nullified the victories of APC candidates over irregularities in their party primaries and declared their PDP challengers winners.

He also referenced the Supreme Court’s February 2020 judgment that nullified the election of APC governorship candidate David Lyon in Bayelsa State, paving the way for PDP’s Douye Diri to emerge as governor.

Keyamo recalled that Atiku had supported the Zamfara judgment as a victory for the rule of law, questioning why political actors who previously defended judicial decisions would criticise the judiciary over a ruling affecting their interests.

“You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way,” he said.

Atiku, however, has rejected the possibility of being prevented from contesting the 2027 presidential election, insisting that Nigerians should be allowed to determine their political future through the ballot.

The outcome of the ADC’s legal challenge is expected to have far-reaching implications for the party’s leadership, the validity of its primaries and the eligibility of candidates seeking to contest under its platform.