The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has declared that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will participate in the 2027 general elections, but warned that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates produced by the David Mark-led faction may not appear on the ballot.
Keyamo said the fate of the candidates would depend on the final determination of the party’s leadership dispute by the Supreme Court, following a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the Mark-led leadership structure.
The minister made the clarification on Sunday in a post on his verified X account, dismissing suggestions that the ruling could prevent the ADC from participating in the forthcoming elections.
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He maintained that the judgment affected the leadership structure and decisions taken by the Mark-led faction, rather than automatically disqualifying the opposition party from the electoral process.
“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,” Keyamo wrote.
“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 added.
The minister’s comments followed Thursday’s judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the caretaker committee headed by former Senate President David Mark.
Presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, the court also invalidated decisions taken by the committee, including the process that produced Atiku as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The judgment arose from a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, instituted by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe.
Gombe had challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership, arguing that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the position.
He maintained that the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee took control of the party violated its constitution and relevant electoral provisions.
The ruling has introduced fresh uncertainty into the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, particularly concerning the validity of its presidential nomination and other candidates who emerged through the Mark-led leadership.
However, the party and the affected faction have rejected the judgment and initiated legal steps to challenge it.
The ADC filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal and also approached the Federal High Court with an application seeking a stay of execution of the judgment pending the determination of the appeal.
Atiku and the party have also maintained their opposition to the ruling, with the former vice-president’s political future under the ADC ticket now tied to the outcome of the ongoing legal battle.
Keyamo, reacting to criticisms of the judgment, questioned why the ruling was being presented as an attempt to prevent the ADC from participating in the elections.
He argued that candidates who secured their nominations under the party’s original leadership structure also had political rights that deserved protection.
“Therefore, the question we must ask those raising hell is: 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.
His position, however, remains a political and legal interpretation of the judgment, with the final determination resting with the courts and the electoral authorities.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has also adopted a cautious position, saying it would not take a decision on the dispute until it obtains and studies the certified true copy of the judgment.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission would deliberate on the matter at its meeting the following week.
He stressed that INEC would not rely on media reports to determine its position on a court decision with implications for party leadership and candidate nominations.
The commission also indicated that it would comply with any subsequent court order, including an injunction staying execution of the judgment.
With the ADC’s appeal and the legal dispute still unfolding, the question of who can validly represent the party in the 2027 elections remains unresolved.
