By Clement Jimbo
ABUJA — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that Nigeria’s 2027 general election must be determined by the will of the electorate rather than through judicial contests, following the Court of Appeal’s decision overturning a Federal High Court judgment that sought the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
The appellate court’s ruling effectively removes legal uncertainties surrounding the ADC’s leadership, paving the way for the party to focus on preparations for the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media office in Abuja, Atiku commended the Court of Appeal justices for what he described as their courage, fidelity to the Constitution and commitment to justice, saying the judgment had strengthened constitutional democracy and renewed public confidence in the judiciary.
“As the nation advances towards the 2027 general elections, political contests must be decided by the votes of Nigerians—not by contrived lawsuits seeking to achieve in the courtroom what cannot be won at the ballot box,” Atiku stated.
He noted that the appellate court’s decision, alongside an earlier judgment by Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, affirming the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, had effectively resolved all legal disputes challenging the party’s leadership ahead of the next general election.
According to the statement, the judgments firmly establish the ADC’s legal standing to participate in the 2027 polls.
Atiku explained that the Court of Appeal ruled that the June 15 judgment delivered by Justice Lifu was a nullity because it was issued in violation of an existing order of the appellate court.
He further said 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 former vice president also noted that the appellate court clarified that Section 225A of the Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively, adding that the suit was premature since the election cycles in Osun and Ekiti states were still ongoing when the case was filed.
He said the appellate court also faulted the trial court for disregarding 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.
“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,” Atiku said.
Describing the ruling as a victory beyond the interests of a single political party, Atiku said it represented a triumph for constitutional democracy, the rule of law and the right of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders.
“The strength of a democracy lies not in the exclusion of political opponents but in allowing the people to freely determine their leaders through the ballot,” he said.
He also warned against the use of the judiciary and other state institutions as instruments for political manipulation, cautioning that such actions could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions and weaken Nigeria’s constitutional order.
“The judiciary must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space,” he warned.
Atiku concluded by expressing appreciation to the Court of Appeal justices for what he described as a courageous, impartial and constitutionally grounded judgment, saying the decision reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law over political expediency and reinforced public confidence in the administration of justice.
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