The Atiku Media Office has said the Court of Appeal has cleared the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to participate in the 2027 general elections after setting aside a Federal High Court judgment that sought to remove the party and several other political parties from Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the media office described the appellate court’s decision as a landmark victory for constitutional democracy, the rule of law and political pluralism.
According to the statement, the Court of Appeal nullified a June 15 judgment of the Federal High Court, holding that it was delivered despite a subsisting order of the appellate court. It also said the appellate court found that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the suit and described their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable.
The statement further said the Court of Appeal clarified that Section 225A of the Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively, adding that the suit was premature because the electoral processes in Osun and Ekiti states were still ongoing when it was filed.
The Atiku Media Office also stated that the appellate court faulted the trial court for allegedly disregarding affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which, according to the statement, confirmed that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with constitutional and statutory requirements.
It added that the judgment, alongside an earlier decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, affirming the election of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, effectively resolved pending legal disputes over the party’s leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The statement argued that the appellate court’s decision was not only a victory for the ADC but also for democratic governance, saying political competition should be determined by the electorate rather than through litigation.
It further cautioned against what it described as attempts to use the courts and other state institutions to undermine political competition.
“As the nation moves steadily towards the 2027 general election, 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 statement said.
The Atiku Media Office commended the Justices of the Court of Appeal for what it described as a courageous and constitutionally grounded judgment, expressing confidence that the decision would strengthen public trust in the judiciary and reinforce the rule of law.
Neither the Court of Appeal judgment nor any response from the plaintiffs or other parties to the litigation was immediately available at the time of filing this report.
