Nigeria court strikes down candidacy of opposition leader Abubakar: party

Atiku Abubakar during a campaign rally in Kano, northwest Nigeria, on February 9, 2023. [AFP]

A Nigerian court Thursday declared invalid the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate for the opposition African Democratic Congress, the party said, two months before the country's elections.

The ADC, one of the main opposition parties trying to oust President Bola Tinubu, has been mired in lawsuits around its leadership.

Earlier this year, the federal government backed a separate lawsuit over its eligibility to contest the 2027 vote.

Abubakar, a former vice president, will likely appeal, but the decision adds a legal headache with the January 16 vote right around the corner.

"The decision just came this morning," ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi told AFP, promising a full statement later in the day.

The decision was handed down by a federal court in Abuja a day after Abubakar launched his campaign with a rally in Sokoto state.

Nigerian media reported that the court ruled against the current leadership of the ADC, led by David Mark, who has been fighting with Nafiu Bala Gombe over heading the party.

In ruling against Mark, the nomination of Abubakar -- made while he helmed the party -- has also been tossed, Nigerian media reported.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, which validated Abubakar's candidacy, did not respond to a request for comment.

If Abubakar cannot run, that would leave the election without any major candidate from the north -- a potentially disruptive development in a country where regional representation is a politically sensitive issue.

Abubakar -- popularly known simply as Atiku -- came second in the 2023 presidential contest, with 29 percent of the vote.

Tinubu won the election among a split opposition, taking the presidency with 36.6 percent of the vote.