The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision overturning a Federal High Court judgment that sought the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties, describing the ruling as a significant victory for Nigeria’s democracy.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Atiku Media Office said the appellate court’s verdict had cleared all legal impediments that could have affected the ADC’s participation in the 2027 general elections.
According to the statement, the latest ruling, combined with an earlier Federal High Court judgment affirming the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, has effectively resolved all pending disputes over the party’s legal status and leadership.
The media office maintained that with both judgments now in place, there is no outstanding litigation challenging the party’s leadership, positioning the ADC to fully participate in the 2027 electoral process.
It also commended the Court of Appeal for setting aside what it described as the flawed decision of the lower court, praising the justices for upholding constitutional principles and strengthening confidence in the judiciary.
The statement said the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court judgment was invalid because it was delivered despite an existing order of the Court of Appeal. It further noted that the appellate court held that the respondents lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, describing their claims as speculative and without legal merit.
The Atiku Media Office added that the court clarified the interpretation of Section 225A of the Constitution, ruling that its provisions should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively. It also said the appellate court found the suit to be premature since the Osun and Ekiti election cycles were still ongoing when the case was filed.
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According to the statement, the Court of Appeal also faulted the trial court for disregarding affidavit evidence submitted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which indicated that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with constitutional and statutory requirements.
It argued that after accepting INEC’s evidence, the lower court had no legal basis to impose additional conditions before reaching what the appellate court described as an erroneous conclusion.
Describing the ruling as a win beyond the ADC, the Atiku Media Office said the judgment reinforces democratic values by safeguarding political pluralism and protecting the rights of opposition parties to participate in the electoral process.
The statement further cautioned against attempts to deploy the judiciary or other state institutions to weaken political opponents ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that electoral contests should be determined by voters rather than courtroom battles.
The Appeal Court judgment comes amid growing political realignments ahead of the next general elections, with the ADC increasingly emerging as a platform attracting leading opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark.