Uncertainty over Nigeria vote after court bars opposition leader from running

A court in Nigeria has disqualified Atiku Abubakar as a presidential candidate for the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), just two months before the country goes to the polls.

Issued on: 06/11/2026 - 09:57

The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the leadership of the ADC, one of the three major parties contesting the January presidential election, was illegally constituted and therefore voided Abubakar's candidacy.

The party, which accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of involvement in the legal case, says it will appeal.

Thursday's decision is "another desperate attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians the right to choose their leaders in the forthcoming general elections", ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi said in a statement following the ruling.

Nigerians are set to choose a successor to President Bola Tinubu on 16 January.

Tinubu's main challengers are considered to be Abubakar and Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State.

Obi called Thursday's ruling against Abubakar "shocking".

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Legal battles

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

Earlier this year, the federal government backed a separate case over the ADC's eligibility to contest the 2027 vote. The lawsuit claimed the party had failed to meet constitutional requirements, but an appeals court overturned the ruling.

The party and government critics say the case against ADC has been orchestrated by the ruling party.

Tinubu spokesman Daniel Bwala said the APC "is not involved at all" in the suit over the party's leadership that sparked Thursday's decision.

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Rematch of 2023

The court ruling was handed down a day after Abubakar launched his campaign with a rally in Sokoto state.

"The timing of this judgment is no coincidence," he said in a statement. 

Nigeria is goes to the polls against the backdrop of a troubled economy and escalating insecurity.

Tinubu faces a splintered opposition, facing off once again against his two main rivals in the 2023 presidential election. Abubakar and Obi came second and third in 2023 respectively.

The campaign has got off to a slow start since August, with the legal battles against the opposition boosting Tinubu’s chances at the polls.

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 a politically sensitive issue.

(with newswires)

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