Peter Obi has blamed the APC for the court judgment that sacked the ADC leadership and nullified its candidates. The NDC presidential candidate spoke on X on Thursday evening. The Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier declared the David Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal. That committee conducted the ADC primary that produced Atiku Abubakar as flag bearer. The court also sacked the party’s national officers, including National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola. The court nullified all ADC candidates for 2027. The judgment landed three months before the presidential election.
The ADC was Atiku’s vehicle after he left the PDP. The party’s internal disputes have been running for months. In September 2026, the party held a consensus conference with other opposition figures. In October, Atiku launched his campaign in Sokoto. The court ruling disrupts those plans. The timing mirrors the Labour Party crisis that followed the 2023 election, when internal disputes consumed the party Obi had built.
Obi said he received the report with shock. “This is unsettling and surprising,” he said. He did not dispute the court’s authority. “The court of law is constituted to determine disputes according to the law,” he said. His concern was timing. “Three months before a general election, it is in the public interest to have certainty,” he said. “It is not good to have too many uncertainties about candidates and parties a few weeks before a presidential election.”
He then accused the APC of engineering the ruling. “This instability is obviously engineered by the ruling party, just as they have done against me in the Labour Party and continue to do so to close down civic space for a robust campaign,” he said. He offered no evidence. He also linked the ruling to violence against his campaigns.
The APC has not responded. The ADC has not issued a statement. Atiku’s campaign has not commented. The court’s ruling stands unless appealed. The electoral calendar is tight. The presidential election is on 16 January 2027.
Winners: The APC, if the ruling weakens the opposition. The ADC faction that brought the suit. Lawyers, who gain work. Losers: Atiku, whose candidacy is nullified. The ADC, which loses its candidates. Obi, whose opposition coalition loses a partner. Voters, who face uncertainty. The electoral process, which suffers another disruption.
Bottom Line: A court sacked a party’s leadership and candidates. Obi blames the APC. He offers no evidence. The ruling stands. The appeal will follow. The election is in January. Uncertainty is the only certainty.