Details of the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have emerged from the certified true copy of the ruling.

The resignation letter

Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment on 5 November 2026, examined three main issues. The first was a letter said to show that the party's deputy national chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, had resigned in May 2025, before the meeting that installed the new leadership. After comparing signatures, the judge found clear differences, described the letter as fictitious or fabricated and rejected it as evidence.

Powers of the executive committee

The ADC argued that its constitution allowed the National Executive Committee to dissolve the old leadership and appoint a new one. The judge accepted that parties may run their internal affairs, but held that this cannot override the Constitution and the Electoral Act, which require parties to elect their principal officers through periodic democratic elections. He ruled that the committee's administrative powers did not allow it to appoint national executives in place of an election.

No proof of a vote

The judge also found that the party could not show that members or delegates had been given the chance to vote for candidates of their choice, and said notifying INEC of a meeting was not the same as complying with the law.

Background

The judgment also voided the primary that produced Atiku Abubakar as the ADC's presidential candidate. The party has appealed, and INEC says it will obey the final court decision. Atiku and his running mate Rotimi Amaechi are continuing to campaign.

Rotimi Amaechi, the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), says the party is on course to defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

His predictions

Speaking at the ADC's presidential rally in Bauchi on Saturday, 14 November 2026, Amaechi gave a state-by-state breakdown of the race. He claimed Atiku Abubakar had secured the support of 13 states across the North-East and North-West, and said Tinubu could count on only five of the six South-West states, with the sixth going to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the party of Oyo governor Seyi Makinde. He named Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa as North Central states Atiku would win easily, said the South-East would offer Tinubu nothing, and said the ADC would campaign hard in the South-South.

Background

Amaechi, a former Rivers governor and transport minister, is Atiku's running mate. Their candidacy faces a legal challenge after a court voided the ADC primary that produced them, a judgment the party has appealed. Tinubu's campaign has received endorsements from several state leaders in recent days. The claims could not be independently verified. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

Oriyomi Hamzat, the Accord Party's governorship candidate in Oyo State, has declared support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027.

What he said

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, 14 November 2026, on the sidelines of the University of Ibadan's convocation, where he received a master's degree in peace and conflict resolution, the Ibadan-based broadcaster said he would not act against the President, citing loyalty. His comments came as voters in the South-West weigh three prominent southern presidential candidates: Tinubu, Oyo governor Seyi Makinde of the APM and Peter Obi of the NDC.

Background

Hamzat is a popular radio presenter in Ibadan. He is running to succeed Makinde, who is in his second and final term and is now challenging Tinubu for the presidency. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Tinubu administration of pushing Nigeria's baking industry to the brink.

What he said

In a statement released in Bauchi on Saturday, 14 November 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, director of strategic communication for his campaign, Atiku said the Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria had lost close to 40 per cent of its members in two years. He was in the state as part of what his campaign calls its 'affordable life' tour.

Rising costs

According to the statement, energy accounts for roughly half of most bakeries' production costs. It said one operator's monthly diesel bill had risen from ₦9 million to ₦19 million, and that switching to alternative power could cost a small bakery ₦40 million to ₦50 million, money most cannot raise. The statement blamed high energy prices and expensive financing for the closures.

Bakers confirm

The Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria itself said at an exhibition in Lagos that about 40 per cent of its members had shut down in the past two years because of rising energy costs, expensive loans and economic conditions. Its president, Emmanuel Onuorah, called on the federal government to provide grants and single-digit interest loans to businesses in the real sector, warning that more closures could threaten jobs.

Background

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has made the cost of living a central theme of his campaign. The government says its reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy, were necessary to stabilise the economy and free up money for infrastructure. The Presidency had not responded to the statement at the time of writing. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.