The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected suggestions that a recent Federal High Court ruling affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as the legitimate leader of the Labour Party (LP) could undermine the opposition coalition's efforts to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement to The Guardian in Abuja, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi emphasized that the judgment would have no substantial impact on the coalition's plans.
He noted that both Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate who placed third and Senator Usman remain key figures in the broader opposition alliance.
"The ruling does not change anything substantially," Abdullahi said. "Mr. Obi has declared openly for the ADC.
Senator Nenadi Usman has been a leading member of the coalition from the start. If anything, this judgment will only make the coalition stronger."
The Federal High Court in Abuja, in a ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on January 21, 2026, removed Julius Abure as LP National Chairman, citing the expiration of his tenure as previously declared by the Supreme Court in its April 4, 2025 verdict.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee as the party's valid leadership pending a national convention.
This resolved a prolonged leadership crisis in the LP that had produced conflicting court judgments and factional divisions. Following Abure's removal, INEC is expected to formally acknowledge Senator Usman (a former Finance Minister) as the acting or caretaker National Chairman.
Peter Obi had previously exited the Labour Party amid the turmoil and officially joined the ADC late in 2025, declaring his membership in Enugu alongside several LP lawmakers from the South-East.
Speculation had arisen in some quarters that the stabilization of LP leadership under Usman might prompt Obi's return to his former party.Abdullahi dismissed such concerns, affirming Obi's firm commitment to the ADC as the platform for the opposition's unified push against the APC in 2027.
He highlighted that the coalition bringing together various opposition figures remains intact and potentially bolstered by the clarity in LP's leadership.
The development comes as opposition groups intensify efforts to forge a formidable front ahead of the next presidential polls, with the ADC positioning itself as a key vehicle for that collaboration.
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