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Nigeria court bars opposition leader Abubakar from running
A federal court disqualifies Atiku Abubakar as a presidential candidate two months before Nigeria's January election, throwing the race into uncertainty.
In brief
A federal court disqualifies Atiku Abubakar as a presidential candidate two months before Nigeria's January election, throwing the race into uncertainty. Nigeria's Federal High Court disqualified opposition leader Atiku Abubakar from running for president, citing illegal party leadership, weeks before the January…
Court disqualifies Abubakar
The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the African Democratic Congress leadership was illegally constituted, voiding Atiku Abubakar's candidacy for the January presidential election.
Election date set for January
Nigerians are set to choose a successor to President Bola Tinubu on sixteen January. Tinubu's main challengers are considered to be Abubakar and Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State.
Opposition cries foul
The African Democratic Congress accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of involvement in the legal case. ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi called the ruling another desperate attempt to cripple the opposition.
“another desperate attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians the right to choose their leaders in the forthcoming general elections”
Peter Obi reacts
Peter Obi, Abubakar's rival and fellow challenger to Tinubu, called Thursday's ruling against Abubakar shocking.
History of legal battles
The African Democratic Congress has been mired in lawsuits around its leadership. Earlier this year, the federal government backed a separate case claiming the party failed to meet constitutional requirements, but an appeals court overturned…
Government denies orchestration
Tinubu spokesman Daniel Bwala said the All Progressives Congress is not involved at all in the suit over the party's leadership that sparked Thursday's decision.
Timing raises suspicions
The court ruling was handed down a day after Abubakar launched his campaign with a rally in Sokoto state. Abubakar said in a statement the timing of the judgment is no coincidence.
“The timing of this judgment is no coincidence”
Rematch of 2023
Tinubu faces a splintered opposition, facing off once again against his two main rivals in the two thousand twenty-three presidential election. Abubakar and Obi came second and third in two thousand twenty-three respectively.
Northern representation at stake
If Abubakar cannot run, it would leave the election without any major candidate from the north, a potentially disruptive development in a country where regional representation is politically sensitive.
Here's the gist
Nigeria's Federal High Court disqualified opposition leader Atiku Abubakar from running for president, citing illegal party leadership, weeks before the January sixteenth election.
