ADC Court Ruling: ‘APC Afraid Of Strong Candidate Against Tinubu’ – Osunbor

A former Governor of Edo State and National Legal Adviser of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Oserheimen Osunbor, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being jittery ahead of the January 2027 presidential election. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Osunbor said the APC did not want a strong candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu at the polls.

“I have said that repeatedly, they (APC) are afraid of any strong candidate running against President Bola Tinubu in the January presidential election,” Osunbor said. <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span> The ADC legal adviser said the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, were continuing with their campaigns because they believed the court judgment nullifying Atiku’s candidacy would not stand.

“Our presidential candidate (Atiku Abubakar) and the presidential campaign is going on, unperturbed because we believe that this judgment will not stand and cannot stand,” he said. Osunbor said the party would appeal the judgment to ensure that a higher court sets it aside. He expressed optimism that Atiku would survive the current challenge, insisting that the former Vice President had the support of the people.

“Atiku will survive because the people are behind him. The force of the people will be greater than the force of those who want to enslave Nigerians,” he said. Osunbor’s comments followed Thursday’s judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which sacked the David Mark-led ADC leadership and invalidated actions taken by the party under the leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the party, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the ADC. The party has rejected the ruling and vowed to challenge it at the appellate court.