On Friday, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a pre-election challenge initiated by former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The suit contested Abubakar’s selection as the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the dismissal after Amaechi’s legal representative, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, requested to withdraw the case. Okutepa informed the court that the involved parties had reached an out-of-court settlement, prompting the formal application for discontinuance.
In his original filing, Amaechi claimed the May 25 primary election failed to follow the Electoral Act and the party’s own guidelines. He sought to nullify the results, block Abubakar from running in the 2027 general elections, and force the ADC to hold a new primary within two weeks. Amaechi, who participated in the primary and finished second, alleged that the party failed to use an official membership register and that the final result forms were unsigned and undated.
The lawsuit named Abubakar, the ADC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission as defendants. Following an unsuccessful attempt to resolve these grievances through the party’s internal appeal committee, Amaechi had escalated the matter to the judiciary before ultimately opting to drop the litigation.
