Appeal Court ruling reaffirms supremacy of rule of law, says Atiku

• A triumph for democracy – Mark

By Lateef Ibrahim

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC),  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has lauded Tuesday’s judgement of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the validity of the registration of the ADC as a legally registered political party in the country.

Atiku specifically described the judgement of the appellate court as a reassuring affirmation that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and the ultimate guardian of constitutional democracy.

In a statement from his media office, the ADC presidential candidate noted that the judgment is far more than a legal victory for the ADC, stressing that it is a victory for every Nigerian who believes that democracy must be nurtured through free political competition rather than strangled through speculative litigation.

According to him, 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.

The former Vice President therefore urged anti-democratic forces to resist the dangerous temptation of using the courts and other institutions of the state as instruments of political engineering.

The judiciary, he warned, must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space.

Such conduct, he argued, undermines public confidence in the nation’s institutions and diminishes the sacrifices made by countless Nigerians in the struggle to enthrone constitutional democracy.

Atiku advised that as the nation moves steadily towards the 2027 general election, 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.

He expressed  profound appreciation to the Justices of the Court of Appeal for their courageous, impartial and constitutionally grounded judgment.

Their decision, he reasoned, has strengthened public confidence in the administration of justice and reaffirmed that, in Nigeria, the rule of law remains superior to political expediency.

The statement reads, “We warmly welcome the landmark judgment of the Court of Appeal, which set aside the erroneous judgment of the Federal High Court that sought to remove the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other political parties from Nigeria’s democratic space.

“We congratulate the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal for their courage, fidelity to the Constitution and unwavering commitment to justice.

“Their judgment is a reassuring affirmation that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and the ultimate guardian of constitutional democracy.

“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.

“With this Court of Appeal judgment validating the legal status of ADC plus the judgment of Hon. Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, affirming the Election of Senator David Mark’s led exco of ADC, the leading opposition party has finally navigated its ways to the ballot for the 2027 General Elections as there’s no suit pending that challenges its leadership again.

“The appellate court rightly held that the judgment delivered on 15 June by Justice Lifu was a nullity, having been rendered in disobedience to a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal.

“ It further found that the respondents lacked the locus standi to institute the action, describing their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable.

“The Court also clarified that Section 225A of the Constitution must be interpreted disjunctively, not conjunctively, and held that since the Osun and Ekiti election cycles were still active when the suit was filed, the action was premature.

“Equally significant was the Court’s finding that the trial court ignored the uncontroverted affidavit evidence of 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.

“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 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.

“We urge anti-democratic forces to resist the dangerous temptation of using the courts and other institutions of the state as instruments of political engineering.

“The judiciary must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space. “Such conduct undermines public confidence in our institutions and diminishes the sacrifices made by countless Nigerians in the struggle to enthrone constitutional democracy.

“As the nation moves steadily towards the 2027 general election, 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.

“We, once again, express our profound appreciation to the distinguished Justices of the Court of Appeal for their courageous, impartial and constitutionally grounded judgment.

“Their decision has strengthened public confidence in the administration of justice and reaffirmed that, in Nigeria, the rule of law remains superior to political expediency.

“We remain confident that truth, justice and the democratic will of the Nigerian people will always prevail”, the statement concluded.

Similarly, ADC Chairman, Senator David Mark, described the Court of Appeal ruling as a victory for Nigeria’s democracy, the rule of law, and political pluralism.

In a statement by his media aide, Kola Ologbondiyan, Mark commended the justices for their courage and impartiality, noting that the judgment restores public faith in the judiciary as a safeguard against attempts to undermine multiparty democracy.

He urged party members and supporters nationwide to stay united and use the legal win as momentum for grassroots mobilization ahead of the 2027 general elections, reaffirming the ADC’s commitment to delivering good governance, national unity, and economic prosperity.