Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using the judiciary to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He also urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate Federal High Court judge, Justice Peter Lifu, over a ruling that nullified the David Mark-led ADC leadership and decisions taken under its authority, including Atiku’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.
In a statement on Thursday, November 5, 2026, Okonkwo described the judgment as politically motivated, alleging that it was intended to undermine the ADC’s challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The ruling followed a suit by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman, North-East, who challenged the process that brought Mark and his associates into the party’s leadership.
Questioning Bala’s legal standing, Okonkwo claimed he had resigned from the party’s National Working Committee and initially supported the leadership transition. Bala, however, had previously denied resigning, describing a letter circulated in his name as fabricated.
Okonkwo said the ADC unveiled the Mark-led leadership on July 2, 2025, before its National Executive Committee formally adopted the transition on July 29, 2025, in a process monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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He maintained that the transition complied with the party’s constitution and accused the court of interfering in its internal affairs.
The spokesperson also cited Justice Lifu’s June 15, 2026 judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and four other parties: Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party. The Court of Appeal subsequently stayed the order and strongly criticised the judge’s handling of the case.
The ADC leadership dispute has also passed through the Supreme Court, which on April 30, 2026, set aside an earlier appellate status quo order and returned the substantive matter to the Federal High Court for expedited hearing.
In a separate case, Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed a suit by lawmaker Leke Abejide challenging Mark’s leadership on July 2, 2026, holding that the dispute concerned the party’s internal affairs. That decision, however, did not determine Bala’s separate suit.
Okonkwo alleged that the latest ruling was intended to weaken the ADC following its campaign rally in Sokoto on Wednesday, November 4. He said the party would challenge the judgment and urged Nigerians to support its political cause.
The decision has cast fresh uncertainty over the ADC’s leadership and preparations for the 2027 elections, particularly the status of its presidential ticket and other nominations.