Peter Obi: APC Accused of Influencing Court Ruling Against Atiku, David Mark

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of influencing a court judgement that sacked Atiku Abubakar and David Mark as candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The judgement in question, delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, declared as illegal the David Mark-led ADC’s Caretaker Committee, which conducted the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its flag bearer. According to Premium Times Nigeria, the court ruling followed a suit filed by a faction of the ADC that challenged the validity of the primary election conducted by the David Mark-led faction. However, the ADC has vowed to appeal the judgement, with its National Legal Adviser, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, stating that the ruling cannot stand the test of legal scrutiny. Osunbor, who spoke on Thursday during an appearance on [Arise TV](https://arise.tv), stated that the party will appeal the judgement and seek redress at the Court of Appeal. Osunbor further accused the APC of being behind the court action, alleging that the ruling party is afraid of the prospect of a three-horse race in the upcoming presidential election. The Labour Party, led by Peter Obi, has been gaining momentum in recent months, with Obi consistently polling as the second most popular presidential candidate after the incumbent, Bola Tinubu of the APC. However, the party has faced challenges in securing ballot access in some states, leading to calls for electoral reform and the implementation of the direct primary system. It remains to be seen how the court ruling affecting the ADC will impact the presidential race, but many analysts believe it could potentially benefit Obi by removing a competitor from the field. Editorial notes: This article is based on reports from Premium Times Nigeria and Tribune Online. The veracity of the claims made by Peter Obi and the ADC has not been independently confirmed.