The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a pre-election suit filed by former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The suit challenged Atiku’s emergence as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik struck out the case on Friday after Amaechi’s counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, moved an application for withdrawal.
Okutepa told the court that the parties had resolved their differences and that an application to discontinue the matter had already been filed.
He therefore asked the court to strike out the suit.
After hearing the application, Justice Abdulmalik granted the request and struck out the case.
Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation, had approached the court to challenge the ADC presidential primary held on May 25.
He asked the court to set aside the primary election that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
In the suit, Amaechi alleged that the primary was conducted in breach of the Electoral Act, 2026, the ADC Constitution and the party’s guidelines for the conduct of primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He also sought an order restraining Atiku from presenting himself as the ADC presidential candidate.
Amaechi further asked the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising Atiku as the party’s candidate.
He also requested an order directing the ADC to conduct a fresh presidential primary within 14 days of judgment.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1215/2026, listed Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress and INEC as defendants.
In the affidavit supporting the case, Amaechi said he was a registered member of the ADC in Ward 8, Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He said he purchased the party’s presidential nomination form, was screened and cleared to contest the primary.
Amaechi claimed he participated in the primary and appointed agents and coordinators to monitor the process across the country.
According to him, the ADC later published a result on May 27 showing Atiku as winner with 1,846,370 votes.
The result also reportedly placed Amaechi second with 504,177 votes, while Mohammed Hayatu-Deen came third with 177,120 votes.
Amaechi alleged that the process violated the Electoral Act, the ADC Constitution and the party’s primary election guidelines.
He claimed the party did not use its membership register for accreditation during the presidential primary.
He also alleged that the ADC did not apply to INEC for certified true copies of its membership register for use during the election.
The former governor further claimed that the final result declaration form was unsigned, undated and did not contain the names or signatures of members of the election committee.
He said the names and signatures of his agents were also absent from the document.
Amaechi said he wrote to the ADC National Organising Secretary requesting certified true copies of the membership register used for accreditation during the primary.
According to him, the response he received stated that no membership register was used for the election.
He said he later petitioned the party’s presidential appeal committee in line with the ADC primary election guidelines.
Amaechi stated that he adopted the petition before the committee and submitted additional written arguments in support of his complaint.
He said he later wrote to the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, after the appeal committee failed to communicate its decision to him.
Following the alleged failure to address his complaints, Amaechi said he filed the suit.
However, following the reported settlement between the parties, the court has now struck out the matter.
