Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned a Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party and four others, describing the judgment as part of a broader effort to weaken Nigeria’s democracy.
Reacting in a statement issued on X by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku alleged that the judgment is a reflection of what he called “judicial rascality” and a deliberate attempt to tilt the political system towards a one-party structure.
The court ruling is part of a wider political agenda to muzzle opposition parties before the 2027 general elections, he argued.
He said there were already legal restraints on the matter including a pending appeal and a subsisting order of stay of action from the Court of Appeal which should have stopped further proceedings at the lower court.
“The judgment was given in defiance of directives from the appellate court and constitutes a grave threat to democratic norms and institutional order,” he argued.
The so-called deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, among other parties, by Justice Peter Lifu may yet turn out to be the biggest manifestation of a bid to undermine the opposition and entrench a de facto one-party state. “The judgment is the acme of judicial rascality,” the statement reads.
He also cited a Court of Appeal order in Appeal CA/ABJ/CV/569/2026 and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025 which, he said, directed the trial court to stay further action pending determination of the appeal.
Atiku said the appellate court had fixed October 27, 2026 for hearing, saying the lower court knew about the directive but went ahead.
The ruling establishment, he alleged, was attempting to manipulate the judiciary in a bid to silence opposition voices and consolidate political dominance ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“The court order dated May 22, 2026 was very clear. Nigerians and the international community can see the level of desperation to either win the 2027 elections at all cost or destroy our democracy,” he added.
The former vice president said the ADC and other affected parties remain committed to exploring all available legal options to challenge the judgment and safeguard Nigeria’s multi-party democratic system.
