A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked the Senator David Mark-led executives of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and voided all actions taken by them on behalf of the party, including the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, the court declared the Mark-led Caretaker Committee illegal. The committee had organised the primary that produced Atiku as the party’s flag bearer.

The court upheld a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, the party’s former National Deputy Chairman (North-East). Gombe challenged the process by which the Mark-led committee assumed control of the party. He argued that following the resignation of former National Chairman Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was next in line to lead the ADC and sought the nullification of all actions taken under Mark’s leadership.

Defendants in the suit are the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator David Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) National Presidential Campaign Council has strongly condemned the attack on the convoy of its Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, in Calabar today.

In a statement signed by Spokesperson, Dr. Chiogo Constance Ikokwu , the party referenced similar previous attack on Mr Obi in Benue, where while traveling along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway near the Nigerian Air Force Base in Makurdi, Obi’s convoy ran into a full roadblock mounted by a mob, apparently planted there.

The NDC-PCC, therefore called on the relevant authorities, particularly the state government and security agencies in Cross River State to act decisively – investigate this attack, identify and prosecute the perpetrators.

“They must not look the other way or conduct themselves in ways that suggest tolerance or complicity in political violence. Silence and inaction only embolden perpetrators.

Dr Ikokwu emphasised that Nigeria belongs to all of us, and every Nigerian has the right to campaign, associate and participate in politics without fear of violence. .

The campaign council warned that NDC will not be intimidated, silenced or deterred by violence. No one should imagine that power can be seized through threats, intimidation and attacks rather than earned through the democratic will of the people.

This is a crucial election for Nigeria. Our democracy must not be held hostage by political violence.”

•Lawrence Bayode

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has begun cleaning up the affected Register of Voters following the identification of records with suspected AI-generated photographs and other irregularities.

The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, confirmed this in a public statement on Sunday, emphasising that its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) had flagged 268 records for review

.“What we are currently doing now is looking at all these 268 records that ABIS already flagged as AI-generated or even something of irregularities,” he said.

Bayode explained that some people allegedly used their official credentials to create questionable profiles, exploiting a registration option designed for persons with disabilities who do not have complete fingers or have no fingers.

According to him, the option, known as special registration, was used to deceive the system and was among the irregularities detected by ABIS.