2027: All obstacles against ADC are now over, Atiku’s camp celebrates Appeal Court victory

The media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that there is no longer any pending legal challenge standing in the way of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The declaration follows the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Atiku Media Office described the appellate court’s ruling as a major victory for democracy and the rule of law, saying it had cleared the path for the ADC to participate in the 2027 general elections.

According to the statement, the Court of Appeal’s judgment, alongside an earlier ruling by Justice Liman of the Federal High Court affirming the election of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, means the party has overcome all legal challenges concerning its leadership and legal status.

“With this Court of Appeal judgment validating the legal status of ADC plus the judgment of Hon. Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, affirming the election of Senator David Mark’s led exco of ADC, the leading opposition party has finally navigated its ways to the ballot for the 2027 General Elections as there’s no suit pending that challenges its leadership again,” the statement read.

The Atiku Media Office congratulated the Justices of the Court of Appeal, describing the judgment as a demonstration of courage and commitment to constitutional democracy.

“We warmly welcome the landmark judgment of the Court of Appeal, which set aside the erroneous judgment of the Federal High Court that sought to remove the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other political parties from Nigeria’s democratic space,” it said.

It added, “We congratulate the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal for their courage, fidelity to the Constitution and unwavering commitment to justice. Their judgment is a reassuring affirmation that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and the ultimate guardian of constitutional democracy.”

The statement noted that the appellate court held that the June 15 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu was a nullity because it was issued in violation of a subsisting Court of Appeal order staying proceedings in the matter.

It further stated that the Court of Appeal found that the respondents lacked the legal standing to institute the suit and described their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable.

According to the Atiku camp, the appellate court also clarified the interpretation of Section 225A of the Constitution, holding that the provision must be interpreted disjunctively and that the suit was filed prematurely since the Osun and Ekiti election cycles were still ongoing.

The statement also claimed that the trial court ignored affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which, according to it, confirmed that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with all constitutional and statutory requirements.

“Having accepted INEC’s evidence, the lower court had no legal basis to manufacture additional conditions in order to arrive at what the Court of Appeal rightly described as a perverse decision,” it added.

Describing the ruling as more than a victory for the ADC, the Atiku Media Office said it was a triumph for all Nigerians who believe in democratic competition and constitutional governance.

“This judgment is far more than a legal victory for the ADC. It is a victory for every Nigerian who believes that democracy must be nurtured through free political competition rather than strangled through speculative litigation,” the statement said.

The media office also warned against attempts to use the judiciary and other state institutions to weaken political opposition.

“We urge anti-democratic forces to resist the dangerous temptation of using the courts and other institutions of the state as instruments of political engineering. The judiciary must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space,” it stated.

It added that as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, “political contests must be settled by the votes of Nigerians—not by contrived lawsuits designed to achieve through the courtroom what cannot be won at the ballot box.”

The reaction followed Tuesday’s judgment of the Court of Appeal, which set aside the Federal High Court’s order directing INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Abba Mohammed unanimously held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, declaring its judgment “null and void” and describing it as “a nullity.”

The appellate court further held that “what the learned trial court did amounted to judicial impertinence or what the Supreme Court called judicial insubordination,” adding that the lower court erred by delivering its judgment despite an earlier order staying proceedings and that the first respondent lacked the locus standi to institute the action.

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