{"id":128663,"date":"2026-07-28T20:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T19:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=128663"},"modified":"2026-07-28T20:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T19:40:13","slug":"2027-atiku-hails-appeal-court-verdict-says-adc-cleared-for-general-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/exclusive\/2027-atiku-hails-appeal-court-verdict-says-adc-cleared-for-general-election\/","title":{"rendered":"2027: Atiku Hails Appeal Court Verdict, Says ADC Cleared for General Election"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Oscar Okhifo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has described the Court of Appeal judgment restoring the legal status of the party as a major victory for constitutional democracy, saying the ruling has cleared the ADC to fully participate in the 2027 general elections.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Media Office in Abuja, Atiku said the appellate court’s decision, which nullified the Federal High Court judgment seeking the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties, reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.<\/p>\n

He congratulated the Justices of the Court of Appeal for what he described as their courage, fidelity to the Constitution and unwavering commitment to justice, saying the judgment had reinforced public confidence in the judiciary as “the last hope of the common man and the ultimate guardian of constitutional democracy.”<\/p>\n

“At a time when many Nigerians are anxious about the future of democratic governance, the Court has demonstrated that justice, when courageously dispensed, remains the strongest defence against arbitrariness and political expediency,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Atiku maintained that, with the appellate court affirming the legal status of the ADC and an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, delivered by Justice Liman, which upheld the election of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the party, all legal impediments to the ADC’s participation in the 2027 elections had been removed.<\/p>\n

“There is no longer any pending suit challenging the leadership or legal status of the ADC. The party is therefore fully positioned to present its candidates and contest the 2027 general election,” the statement said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The former vice president noted that the Court of Appeal held that the June 15 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu was a nullity because it was delivered despite a subsisting order of the appellate court directing the trial court to stay proceedings pending the determination of an appeal.<\/p>\n

According to him, the appellate court also ruled that the plaintiffs lacked the requisite locus standi to institute the suit and described their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable.<\/p>\n

He further stated that the court clarified the interpretation of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, holding that the provision should be construed disjunctively rather than conjunctively. He added that because the Osun and Ekiti governorship election cycles were still ongoing when the suit was filed, the action was premature.<\/p>\n

Atiku also highlighted the appellate court’s finding that the trial court failed to give proper consideration to unchallenged affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which confirmed that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with all constitutional and statutory requirements for continued registration.<\/p>\n

“Having accepted INEC’s evidence, the lower court had no legal basis to manufacture additional conditions or impose requirements unknown to the law in order to arrive at what the Court of Appeal rightly described as a perverse decision,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Describing the ruling as extending beyond the fortunes of the ADC, Atiku said it represented a victory for every Nigerian who believes democracy should be strengthened through free political competition rather than litigation aimed at excluding opponents.<\/p>\n

“The strength of democracy lies not in the exclusion of political opponents but in allowing the people to freely determine their leaders through the ballot,” he stated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He warned against the use of the judiciary and other state institutions as instruments of political engineering, insisting that political contests should be decided by the electorate and not through the courts.<\/p>\n

“Any attempt to achieve through the courts what cannot be won at the ballot box undermines public confidence in democratic institutions and diminishes the sacrifices made by countless Nigerians in the struggle to establish and sustain constitutional democracy,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections, Atiku stressed that the outcome of the polls should be determined by the votes of Nigerians rather than “contrived lawsuits designed to secure in the courtroom what cannot be achieved through the ballot.”<\/p>\n

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had earlier on Tuesday set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Action Peoples Party (APP).<\/p>\n

In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Abba Mohammed, the appellate court held that the lower court lacked jurisdiction because the suit was instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which it ruled was not a juristic person capable of instituting the action.<\/p>\n

The court also faulted the trial judge for proceeding with the matter despite an earlier order directing a stay of proceedings, ultimately restoring the legal status of the affected political parties.<\/p>\n

Expressing appreciation to the appellate court, Atiku said the judgment had strengthened public confidence in the administration of justice and reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law.<\/p>\n

\n

“We remain confident that truth, justice and the democratic will of the Nigerian people will always prevail,” the statement concluded.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Oscar Okhifo Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has described the Court of Appeal judgment restoring the legal status of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":120714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n2027: Atiku Hails Appeal Court Verdict, Says ADC Cleared for General Election - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/exclusive\/2027-atiku-hails-appeal-court-verdict-says-adc-cleared-for-general-election\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2027: Atiku Hails Appeal Court Verdict, Says ADC Cleared for General Election - 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