Federal High Court Strikes Out Amaechi’s Suit Challenging Atiku’s

The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a pre-election suit filed by former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, challenging the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik struck out the case on Friday after Amaechi’s counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), informed the court that the parties had resolved their dispute and filed an application seeking to discontinue the matter.

The court subsequently granted the application and formally struck out the suit.

Amaechi had asked the court to nullify the ADC presidential primary conducted on May 25, alleging that the exercise breached the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, the party’s constitution and its guidelines governing the nomination of candidates.

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The former minister also sought an order restraining Atiku from presenting himself as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not recognise his nomination.

In addition, Amaechi prayed the court to compel the ADC to conduct a fresh presidential primary in line with the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.

He had argued that he was a duly registered member of the ADC who purchased the party’s nomination form, was screened and cleared to contest the primary, and therefore had the legal standing to challenge the outcome of the exercise.

The withdrawal of the suit brings the legal challenge to Atiku’s nomination to an end, leaving his emergence as the ADC’s presidential candidate unchallenged in the case.