Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo defends the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the David Mark-led ADC leadership and the process that produced Atiku Abubakar as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has defended the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark, insisting that Nigeria’s democracy will not collapse if former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar does not contest the 2027 presidential election.

Keyamo made his position known in a post on X on Friday, November 6, 2026, amid growing political reactions to the court's decision, which has thrown the ADC into fresh uncertainty ahead of the next general election.

The minister argued that judicial decisions should be assessed based on facts, evidence and the law rather than political interests, public pressure or the reactions of those affected by the outcome.

He also cautioned against attacking judges or attempting to intimidate the judiciary whenever court rulings go against particular political interests.

Dismissing concerns that Atiku's possible exclusion from the 2027 presidential race could undermine democracy, Keyamo declared that the country would remain stable regardless of whether the former vice-president appears on the ballot.

"You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way. Heavens will not fall if a certain Atiku Abubakar is not on the ballot in 2027," he wrote.

Keyamo further argued that the ADC remains an existing political party with its original leaders and members, stressing that those who belonged to the party before the emergence of the now-nullified leadership also have constitutional rights and political interests that must be respected.

According to him, members of the original party should not be treated as less important or less entitled to participate in Nigeria's democratic process.

The minister's comments also brought attention to previous Supreme Court decisions involving the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly the 2020 Bayelsa governorship election dispute and the 2019 Zamfara election controversy.

ALSO READ: BREAKING: Court Nullifies Atiku’s ADC Presidential Candidacy for 2027 Elections

https://dailyobserver.ng/breaking-court-nullifies-atikus-adc-presidential-candidacy-for-2027-elections

He suggested that political parties should demonstrate consistency in accepting judicial decisions, recalling instances when court rulings went against the APC but were not treated as grounds for rejecting the judiciary.

Court Judgment Throws ADC Into Fresh Crisis

The controversy follows Thursday's judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the National Working Committee led by David Mark and declared the caretaker committee under whose authority it operated illegal.

The ruling also invalidated actions taken by the affected leadership structure, including the process that produced Atiku Abubakar as the ADC's presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The decision has intensified uncertainty within the opposition party, raising fresh questions about its leadership, internal arrangements and preparedness for the forthcoming presidential contest.

With political reactions continuing to emerge, the ADC now faces a significant challenge in resolving its leadership crisis and determining its next steps ahead of the 2027 elections.

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