The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, believes that the party’s presidential ticket of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi will defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

Abdullahi, who was interviewed on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the party believes any of its presidential aspirants would have offered better leadership than the incumbent administration, describing the Atiku-Amaechi combination as a formidable team capable of winning the election.

“We believe that everybody who was running as an aspirant on the platform of the ADC, whether it’s Atiku or Rotimi Amaechi or Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, will do far better than what President Bola Tinubu is doing.

“We believe that the emergence of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi as our presidential and vice-presidential candidates actually gives us a formidable team that is immensely capable of winning this election. So we are not surprised with the kind of shenanigans that have been cropping up the moment we announced Rotimi Amaechi as our vice-presidential candidate,” the party spokesman said.

According to Abdullahi, the ADC “will be on the ballot in the 2027 general elections” and will soon hold a formal presentation and a major event to unveil its presidential ticket to Nigerians officially.

He also insisted that the party conducted a credible primary election. Amaechi, who contested the ADC presidential primary, lost to Atiku before subsequently being announced as the party’s vice-presidential candidate earlier on Monday.

With the 2027 general election drawing closer, political parties are consolidating their positions following their primaries. President Bola Tinubu is the APC’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will fly the ADC flag, while Peter Obi is the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Notably, Tinubu, Atiku and Obi were the leading contenders in the 2023 presidential election, with Tinubu emerging as the winner with over eight million votes, while Obi and Atiku got over six million votes.

Amaechi was a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.

Atiku has pursued the nation’s top job on six occasions over the past three decades, with his presidential ambitions dating back to 1992–1993 and continuing through election cycles up to 2023.

The APC has however, remained Nigeria’s ruling party since assuming power in 2015.

The ADC spokesman Abdullahi, speaking further on the show, condemned a Federal High Court ruling ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties, calling it an attack on democracy and an example of judicial misconduct.

He argued that many candidates had already contested elections under the ADC platform and rejected the judgement entirely.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, directed INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

“We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.

“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC,” Abdullahi said.

The camp of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the party.

In a statement posted on X, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, described the ruling as a manifestation of a bid to entrench a one-party state.

Ibe revealed that a pending appeal and an active stay-of-action order already exist to counter the High Court’s decision.

Recall that Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately deregister the ADC, Accord Party and others from participating in the 2027 general elections over alleged constitutional breaches.

Reacting to the development, Atiku’s aide labelled it the height of judicial rascality and a desperate attempt by the ruling party to undermine the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to Ibe, the High Court ruling directly violates a subsisting order from a higher court, explaining that the Court of Appeal had already intervened to halt the proceedings.

He said, “The so-called deregistration of the African Democratic Congress along with other parties by Justice Peter Lifu may yet be the biggest manifestation of Tinubu’s hell-bent bid to undermine the opposition and entrench a de facto one-party state. The judgment is the height of judicial rascality.

“The Court of Appeal presided over by Justices Mohammed A. Danjuma, Adebunkunola A. Banjoko, Oyejoju O. Oyewumi had in Appeal CA/ABJ/CV/569/2026 and suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025 ordered Justice Peter Lifu to stay further action on the matter until the hearing and determination of the Appeal before it. The hearing for the appeal was scheduled for the 27th of October 2026.

“That order was dated 22nd of May 2026. Nigerians and the international community can see the level of desperation of the ruling party to either have their way in the 2027 elections or destroy our democracy that was purchased at a huge cost.”

Meanwhile, the African Action Congress, AAC, presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the Federal High Court ruling that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and four other political parties.

Sowore said this on Monday in a statement posted on his verified X handle.

According to him, the judgment was undemocratic and inconsistent with the principles of a multi-party system.

He equally stated that it was unacceptable for parties to be deregistered when they had already concluded their primaries and were preparing for future elections.

“It shall not stand. I totally condemn the deregistration of political parties that have already concluded their primaries and are preparing for general elections. Such an action is undemocratic and unjustifiable in a multi-party democracy,” he wrote.

In the same vein, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has faulted Monday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which deregistered five political parties, describing it as an abuse of court process and a direct violation of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal.

This was contained in a statement issued in Osogbo on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.

Adeleke argued that the Court of Appeal had already ordered a stay of proceedings on the matter, expressing surprise that the lower court proceeded to deliver judgment despite the subsisting order.

“It is on record before Honourable Justice Peter Lifu that the record of proceedings of the Court of Appeal of 22nd May, 2026 was put before his Lordship as Exhibit MAC 2.

“The Court of Appeal specifically pronounced that the delivery of the judgment is still part of the proceedings of the court,” the statement partly read.

The governor urged residents to remain calm, insisting that the appellate court would hear the matter on Tuesday, and expressed confidence that the situation would be resolved in favour of his party.

“I call on Osun people to remain calm and be assured that our rights will be affirmed and our party, the Accord, will be on the ballot on August 15th.


“We will not only be on the ballot, we will win overwhelmingly the forthcoming governorship election. We should remain calm and forge ahead with mobilisation of our people.

“I also want to assure our people that the flag-off of our campaign is holding as scheduled tomorrow. They want to distract us. We are going ahead and we are winning this election. Our lawyers are taking all the necessary steps to right the wrong,” the governor said.

Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over reports that the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential ticket may pick its vice-presidential candidate from the South-South region.

In a post on X on Monday, Okonkwo described the reported decision as “unfortunate” and warned that it would amount to the continued marginalisation of the South-East, which he noted has neither produced a president nor vice president since 1999.

He argued that denying the South-East the opportunity to produce either the presidential or vice-presidential candidate of the ADC in the 2027 election would amount to an “unpardonable injustice.”


Okonkwo also referenced the role of former ADC National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, saying the party founder made significant sacrifices by relinquishing control of the party to facilitate the coalition aimed at producing a better Nigeria.

“I heard from social media that the ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.

“I did not join the coalition to assist in the further marginalisation of my own people. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the National Chairman and the President, it would amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the Vice President in 2027,” Okonkwo wrote.

The actor-turned-politician stated that the only request he made to Atiku, whom he said had previously presented himself as a pathway to a South-East presidency, was to demonstrate that commitment by selecting a running mate from the region.

Okonkwo said that if reports of a South-South vice-presidential nominee are confirmed, he would not be willing to campaign for the presidential ticket in 2027.

He maintained that he entered politics to fight for a Nigeria where no region or group is marginalised and insisted that the South-East deserves representation on the presidential ticket.