KEY POINTS
- The Court of Appeal halted the Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of five political parties, including the ADC.
- Atiku Abubakar welcomed the ruling and praised INEC for initiating the application for a stay of execution.
- He warned against judicial interference and urged the judiciary to uphold the rule of law to protect Nigeria’s democracy
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has applauded the Court of Appeal for halting the execution of a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision delivered by a three-member panel headed by Justice Abba Mohammed, held that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court proceeded with his ruling despite an earlier directive from the Court of Appeal ordering a stay of proceedings in the matter.
The appellate court noted that it had, on May 22, instructed the lower court to suspend further action pending the determination of appeals already before it. According to the panel, the Federal High Court judge acted contrary to that order when he delivered the judgment directing the deregistration of the affected parties.
Reacting to the development, Atiku, who emerged as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, welcomed the intervention of the appellate court and described the move by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to seek a stay of execution as significant.
In a statement shared on his social media platforms, the former vice-president said the ruling represented an important step in safeguarding democratic principles and ensuring that due process is respected.
Appeal Court Faults Lower Court’s Decision
The Court of Appeal maintained that the Federal High Court should not have proceeded with the matter while appeals were pending before the higher court.
The ruling effectively suspended the implementation of the judgment that had directed INEC to remove the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party from the register of political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu had ruled that the parties failed to meet constitutional requirements necessary for their continued registration and participation in elections. He also barred INEC from recognising the parties, accepting candidates nominated by them or allowing them to participate in the 2027 general elections.
The judgment followed a suit instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties no longer met the legal conditions required to maintain their status.
Atiku expressed concern over what he described as conflicting and politically influenced judicial decisions, saying the judiciary was increasingly coming under public scrutiny.
He aligned himself with earlier comments made by ADC National Chairman David Mark, who had stated that the nation’s judiciary was “on trial.”
According to Atiku, attempts to weaken democratic institutions through judicial interference could pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s stability and constitutional order.