Atiku Vows To Continue 2027 Presidential Race Despite Court Ruling, Says Tinubu Cannot Escape People’s Verdict
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to continue his 2027 presidential campaign despite a Federal High Court judgment invalidating his emergence as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Atiku, in a statement dated November 6, 2026, and attributed to him in Sokoto, declared that neither the court ruling nor political pressure would make him abandon his presidential ambition.
The former vice-president insisted that Nigerians must be allowed to determine the country’s political future through a free, fair and credible election.
“Let me be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with us: I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot,” he said.
He also accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of deploying political pressure and judicial manoeuvres to weaken opposition parties and undermine democratic competition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku questioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s confidence in its political strength, arguing that a government confident in its performance should have no reason to fear a competitive election.
He further criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the economy, citing fuel subsidy removal, the depreciation of the naira, rising food prices, business closures and insecurity as major challenges confronting Nigerians.
According to him, the economic situation has made life increasingly difficult for ordinary families, while many young Nigerians continue to leave the country in search of better opportunities.
The former vice-president maintained that his campaign would remain focused on the rising cost of living, insecurity and the need to improve living conditions across the country.
He also alleged attempts to compromise the integrity of the electoral process through questionable entries in the voters’ register, including AI-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities.
However, the allegations concerning the voters’ register were not independently established in the statement and should be distinguished from the separate legal dispute involving the ADC.
Atiku’s declaration comes a day after Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the leadership of the ADC under former Senate President David Mark.
The November 5 judgment also invalidated the actions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
The suit was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
The court’s decision also affected the emergence of former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s National Secretary and other decisions taken under the disputed leadership.
The ADC has rejected the judgment, describing it as an attempt to weaken opposition politics, and vowed to challenge the decision through available legal channels.
The party also questioned the judgment’s relationship with an earlier Federal High Court decision delivered on July 2, 2026, which it said recognised the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership.
Despite the legal setback, Atiku maintained that his campaign would continue, urging his supporters to remain calm, united and committed to the democratic process.
He insisted that Nigeria must remain a multiparty democracy where political parties can freely compete for the people’s mandate.
“Let me say this plainly: Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box,” he declared.
