Nigerian opposition figure Atiku Abubakar intends to maintain his candidacy in the presidential election scheduled for January, despite a court ruling invalidating the decisions that led to his nomination by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a published statement, the former vice-president insisted that he had no intention of withdrawing from the presidential race.
"I am in the race. I am going nowhere,” he declared, rejecting any possibility of stepping aside. He also promised that his name would appear on the ballot papers, denouncing pressure and maneuvers aimed, according to him, at preventing his participation in the election.
The ruling issued on Thursday, November 5, by a court in Abuja invalidated all decisions made by David Mark, the current chairman of the ADC, whose legitimacy as head of the political party had been challenged by party member Nafiu Bala Gombe. The decision therefore calls into question the process that led to Atiku Abubakar's nomination as a candidate. The ADC has announced its intention to appeal.
Aged 79, the former vice-president, who is seeking the Nigerian presidency for the seventh time, accuses the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to use the judiciary to eliminate its opponents. He denounces an attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state and believes that President Bola Tinubu will not be able to avoid the verdict of the ballot box.
These accusations were rejected by the APC, which denounced them as baseless statements and conspiracy theories. In a statement released on Friday, the presidential party denied any involvement in the ADC's internal legal disputes.
The confrontation comes amid tensions within the main opposition party, weakened by internal divisions. Having finished second in the 2023 presidential election with 29% of the vote, behind Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar is once again seeking to become president.
The opposition figure had also held a campaign rally in Kebbi State, in northwestern Nigeria, without publicly mentioning the court ruling. Party officials, however, strongly criticized the judgment, arguing that it undermined Nigerians' right to freely choose their leaders.
The outcome of the appeal announced by the ADC will now be decisive in clarifying the party's legal situation and the conditions under which its candidate can participate in the next presidential election.