Atiku raises alarm, as lawyer urges Supreme Court to rule timely on ADC suit to safeguard 2027 elections

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that Nigeria’s democracy and the integrity of the 2027 general elections are under serious threat.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain and presidential hopeful said the country’s democratic system is facing what he described as an existential danger, while expressing concern over developments surrounding an ongoing legal dispute involving the party.

“However, I do not want to believe that the judiciary, long regarded as the last hope of the common man, would align with the ruling APC in any effort that could undermine or destroy our democratic foundations,” he said.

Atiku’s remarks followed a letter dated April 28, 2026, written by S. E. Aruwa, SAN & Co. to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, urging the Supreme Court to expedite judgment in Suit No: SC/CV/180/2026 between Senator David Mark and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe and four others.

In the letter, signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Shaibu Enejo Aruwa, counsel to the ADC, the legal team warned that delays in delivering judgment could jeopardise the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections.

The lawyers stated that the appeal, heard on April 22, 2026, had its judgment reserved, but stressed the urgency of a timely ruling, citing actions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which allegedly de-recognised the leadership of the ADC following a lower court decision.

According to the letter, the development has left the party without recognised leadership despite its status as a registered political party, raising concerns over its ability to meet statutory requirements for the 2027 polls.

The counsel warned that failure to deliver judgment within days could result in the ADC being excluded from the elections, potentially disenfranchising millions of Nigerians and denying them their constitutional right to political participation.

They further argued that while acknowledging the workload of the Supreme Court, justice delayed in the matter would amount to justice denied, as the political future of the party and expectations of its members hang in the balance.

The legal team appealed for urgent judicial intervention to avert what it described as irreversible harm to the party’s constitutional rights.