ADC Lawyer Says Court Judgment Does Not Affect Atiku’s 2027 Presidential Candidacy

A lawyer representing the African Democratic Congress, Kalu Kalu, has said the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party does not invalidate former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential candidacy for the January 16, 2027 election.

Kalu made this clarification during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, while addressing concerns over the implications of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu for the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections.

He explained that the court did not expressly cancel Atiku’s nomination or that of other candidates produced under the Mark-led leadership, insisting that the judgment contained no specific order invalidating their candidacies.

The lawyer blamed the controversy on what he described as misinterpretations of the judgment circulating on social media, saying some Nigerians had attributed decisions to the court that were not contained in its ruling.

He therefore maintained that Atiku’s presidential candidacy remains unaffected by the judgment, as the court did not make any explicit order nullifying his nomination.