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Atiku Abubakar dismisses claims that Appeal Court judgment invalidates ADC primary elections
via Punch Nigeria4 min read
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar stated that the Court of Appeal judgment on the party's leadership crisis does not invalidate the ADC's primary elections for the 2027 general election. He insisted the ruling was limited to the conduct of the party's congresses and the tenure of its state executives. In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku urged party members to remain calm, assuring them the judgment does not affect candidates who emerged through the party’s direct primaries. He argued there is a clear legal distinction between the election of party executives through internal congresses and the nomination of candidates through statutory primary elections. Atiku also criticized attempts to misrepresent the judgment on social media and confirmed that the ADC has directed its legal team to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the appellate court’s decision. The Court of Appeal, in a split decision, upheld a Federal High Court judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing or participating in state congresses organized by committees appointed by the Senator David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC. Atiku reaffirmed that the party remains focused on the 2027 general election.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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