The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has received a major legal boost ahead of the 2027 general elections after the Court of Appeal overturned a Federal High Court judgment that sought to remove the party and other political parties from Nigeria’s political landscape.
The ruling, welcomed by the Atiku Media Office, effectively confirmed the ADC’s legal status and removes the final legal obstacles standing in the way of the party’s participation in the next general election.
According to the statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the appellate court held that the lower court’s decision was invalid because it was delivered despite an existing order of the Court of Appeal.
The justices also ruled that those who initiated the suit lacked the legal standing to do so, describing their claims as speculative and without merit.
The Court of Appeal further clarified the interpretation of Section 225A of the Constitution, holding that the provision should be read disjunctively.
It also noted that election activities in Osun and Ekiti States were still ongoing when the suit was filed, making the case premature.
The statement said the judgment, alongside an earlier Federal High Court ruling affirming the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, means the opposition party now has no pending court case challenging either its leadership or eligibility to contest the 2027 elections.
A key aspect of the judgment, the statement noted, was the appellate court’s criticism of the trial court for disregarding the affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which confirmed that the affected political parties had met all constitutional and statutory requirements.
According to the Atiku Media Office, the appellate court held that the trial court had no justification for creating additional conditions after accepting INEC’s evidence, describing the lower court’s decision as perverse.
The Atiku Media Office commended the Court of Appeal justices for what it described as a courageous and constitutionally sound judgment, expressing confidence that the ruling would strengthen public trust in the judiciary and reinforce the supremacy of the rule of law.
Reacting to the judgment, the media office said: “This judgment is far more than a legal victory for the ADC. It is a victory for every Nigerian who believes that democracy must be nurtured through free political competition rather than strangled through speculative litigation.”
The statement also warned against using the judiciary to settle political contests, urging political actors to respect democratic principles.
“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,” it stated.
