Former VP hails Appeal Court ruling, warns against weaponising judiciary to eliminate political opponents
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that Nigeria’s 2027 general election must be decided by voters at the polls, not through legal manoeuvring, following a landmark Court of Appeal decision that cleared the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of legal obstacles threatening its participation in the upcoming elections.
The appellate court’s ruling overturned a Federal High Court judgment that sought to remove the ADC and other political parties from Nigeria’s democratic space, effectively ending all litigation challenging the party’s leadership ahead of the 2027 polls.
In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, Atiku praised the Justices of the Court of Appeal for their courage, fidelity to the Constitution, and unwavering commitment to justice, saying the judgment had reinforced public confidence in the judiciary and strengthened constitutional democracy.
“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.
Key Rulings That Cleared the ADC
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, has firmly established the party’s legal standing to participate in the polls.
The Court of Appeal held that:
· The June 15 judgment by Justice Lifu was null and void because it was delivered in disobedience to a subsisting appellate court order
· The respondents lacked locus standi to institute the action, describing their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable
· Section 225A of the Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively
· The suit was premature as the Osun and Ekiti election cycles were still ongoing when the action was filed
Victory for Constitutional Democracy
Atiku described the judgment as extending far beyond the fortunes of a single political party, representing a victory for constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and every Nigerian who believes in 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 stated.
The former vice president also cautioned against attempts to weaponise the judiciary and other state institutions for political engineering, warning that such actions could erode public confidence in democratic institutions and weaken the country’s constitutional order.
“The judiciary must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space,” Atiku warned.
Court Criticises Lower Court’s Decision
According to Atiku, the appellate court also faulted the trial court for disregarding the uncontroverted affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), confirming that the ADC and 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,” he added.
The former vice president expressed appreciation to the Justices of the Court of Appeal for what he described as a courageous, impartial, and constitutionally grounded judgment, saying the decision had strengthened public confidence in the administration of justice and reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law over political expediency.
