ADC Insists Court Judgment Won’t Affect 2027 Candidates

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected Monday’s Court of Appeal judgment on its ward, local government and state congresses, insisting that the ruling will not affect its candidates for the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC assured its members that the judgment has no impact on the direct primaries through which its candidates emerged for various elective positions. The party announced that it has commenced the process of challenging the appellate court’s decision at the Supreme Court, describing the verdict as legally unsustainable.
According to the party, the dissenting opinion delivered by the presiding justice more accurately reflected the law and its position. It maintained that the judgment has no effect on the direct primaries that produced its candidates at all levels and urged members and supporters to remain calm while the legal process continues.
The legal dispute is the latest development in the prolonged leadership and congress crisis within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections. Rival factions have continued to lay claim to the party’s structure, although the ADC leadership insists that its recognised National Executive Committee remains valid.
The controversy also follows claims by a rival faction that it had uploaded candidates’ names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal. However, both the ADC leadership and INEC dismissed the claim, with the electoral commission maintaining that it recognises only the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee.
Despite the Appeal Court ruling, the ADC reaffirmed its commitment to participating in the 2027 general elections, stating that it remains focused on providing Nigerians with a credible political alternative while pursuing all legal remedies available under the Constitution.