The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the judgment of the Court of Appeal nullifying the Federal High Court’s order for the deregistration of the party and four other political parties.
He described the verdict as a victory for constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Atiku Media Office, which said the appellate court’s decision had reaffirmed the legal status of the ADC and effectively cleared the way for the opposition party to participate in the 2027 general elections.
According to the statement, the judgment, together with an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, affirming the election of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, had resolved all legal disputes surrounding the party’s leadership, leaving no pending litigation challenging its status.
The media office commended the Justices of the Court of Appeal for what it described as their courage, fidelity to the Constitution and unwavering commitment to justice, saying the judgment had strengthened public confidence in the judiciary as the guardian of constitutional democracy.
It stated that the appellate court held that the judgment delivered on June 15 by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court was a nullity because it was delivered in defiance of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal.
According to the statement, the appellate court also ruled that the respondents lacked the legal standing to institute the action, describing their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable.
The statement further said the Court of Appeal clarified that Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively, adding that the court held the suit was premature because the election cycles in Osun and Ekiti states were still ongoing when the action was filed.
It added that the appellate court faulted the lower court for ignoring the uncontroverted affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which confirmed that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with constitutional and statutory requirements.
“The lower court had no legal basis to manufacture additional conditions after accepting INEC’s evidence. The Court of Appeal rightly described that decision as perverse,” the statement said.
Describing the verdict as more than a legal victory for the ADC, the Atiku Media Office said the judgment represented a triumph for every Nigerian who believes that democracy should be sustained through free political competition rather than weakened by speculative litigation.
It warned against what it described as attempts by anti-democratic forces to use the courts and other state institutions as instruments of political engineering, stressing that such actions could erode public confidence in democratic institutions.
The statement maintained that as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, political contests should be decided by the electorate through the ballot box rather than through what it called “contrived lawsuits” aimed at achieving political objectives in the courtroom.
“We remain confident that truth, justice and the democratic will of the Nigerian people will always prevail,” the statement added.
