Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the outcome of the 2027 general elections should be determined by the votes of Nigerians rather than through the courts, following the Court of Appeal’s decision nullifying a Federal High Court judgment that sought to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his media office in Abuja, described the appellate court’s ruling as a victory for constitutional democracy and the rule of law, saying it had removed legal obstacles that could have distracted the ADC from preparations for the 2027 polls.
The Court of Appeal had earlier overturned the June 15 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, declaring it a nullity because it was issued despite a subsisting stay of proceedings granted by the appellate court.
Reacting to the judgment, Atiku commended the appellate court justices for what he described as their courage, impartiality and commitment to constitutional principles.
“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,” he said.
The former vice president added that the latest ruling, alongside an earlier judgment by Justice Liman of the Federal High Court affirming the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, had effectively resolved all legal disputes surrounding the party’s leadership.
According to him, the decisions firmly establish the ADC’s legal status and eligibility to participate in the 2027 general elections.
Atiku noted that the Court of Appeal held that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, describing their claims as speculative and unsustainable.
He further said the appellate court ruled that Section 225A of the Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively and declared the suit premature because electoral processes in Osun and Ekiti states were still ongoing when the action was filed.
The former vice president also said the appellate court faulted the trial court for ignoring unchallenged affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which showed that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with 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,” he stated.
Atiku argued that the judgment transcended the interests of the ADC, describing it as a reaffirmation of democratic values and free political competition.
“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 to undermine political opponents, saying such actions could erode public confidence in democratic institutions.
“The judiciary must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space,” Atiku added.
He maintained that the Appeal Court’s decision had strengthened public confidence in the administration of justice and reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law over political expediency.
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