Nigeria: Uncertainty Over Nigeria Vote After Court Bars Opposition Leader From Running

What the report says

A Nigerian federal court has disqualified opposition figure Atiku Abubakar from standing as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, or ADC, according to a report distributed by AllAfrica from Radio France Internationale. The ruling, issued in Abuja, found that the party’s leadership structure was unlawfully constituted and therefore invalidated Abubakar’s candidacy. The decision comes roughly two months before Nigeria’s presidential election, scheduled for 16 January 2027, and adds fresh uncertainty to an already tense campaign season.

The ADC said it would appeal and accused the ruling of being part of a wider effort to weaken the opposition. A party spokesman described the judgment as a deliberate attempt to block voters from choosing their preferred leaders. The governing All Progressives Congress denied involvement in the case, with a spokesperson saying the party was not connected to the lawsuit that triggered the ruling.

The report places the decision against the backdrop of a broader leadership dispute inside the ADC and a slow-moving election campaign shaped by legal challenges. Abubakar had launched his campaign in Sokoto state just one day before the court ruling. If the disqualification stands, it could further narrow the field against President Bola Tinubu, whose main challengers are expected to include Abubakar and Peter Obi. The article notes that the outcome may be politically sensitive because it could leave no major candidate from northern Nigeria in the race.