Get Guardian on GoogleKenneth Okonkwo, a spokesman of the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of using the judiciary against his boss to achieve its aim of deregistering the opposition party.
Okonkwo said this while speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, in reaction to Atiku’s 2027 presidential bid facing uncertainty following a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the ADC led by Senator David Mark.
Speaking further, Okonkwo said the ADC presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State shook the APC to its bone marrow.
“The target here is Atiku Abubakar. APC is trying to use the judiciary to achieve political motive not to uphold justice. So, the target here is the Sokoto rally that shocked and shook APC to its bone marrow,” he said.
“Let me tell you something, the Sokoto rally was not a rally, it was a historic rally, it was a journey to rescue our people from the incompetence and corruption of the APC from hunger, unemployment, inflation, and the high cost of living confronting millions of Nigerians.
“Nigeria is a blessed country with natural and human resources, yet families struggle to put food on the table, youths with talents and determination are without jobs.”
Atiku had also condemned Thursday’s Federal High Court ruling by Justice Peter Lifu purporting to remove Senator Mark’s leadership of the ADC.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said the judgment has put the APC into panic mode.
Atiku described Lifu’s ruling that sacked the Mark-led ADC leadership and nullified his 2027 presidential nomination along with all other candidates as a calculated attempt to weaken the opposition party and frustrate his candidacy.
The former Vice President described the judgment as politically timed after a massive Sokoto rally, alleging it aims to fracture his Northern base and national “Affordable Life” campaign message targeting economic hardship across regions, while highlighting a conflicting earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman that upheld the Mark leadership.
“The people of Sokoto came out in their thousands because they are hungry for change and believe in our promise to make life affordable again. What we witnessed in Sokoto is only the beginning. The people of Kebbi will have their say, and so will Nigerians across the country as our campaign moves forward,” Atiku said.
“My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians. There is a difference between being from the North and being a candidate only for the North. Hunger and hardship do not respect regional boundaries. Nigerians across the country are suffering under this government, and they deserve a leader with a credible plan to make life affordable again.
“The timing of this judgment is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to weaken my support in the North and frustrate a campaign whose message is resonating across the country. But the ruling party’s greatest miscalculation is to assume that my support ends in the North. What we saw in Sokoto, what we will see in Kebbi and across the country, is the strength of a national movement.”
