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Samuel Ogidan
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has insisted that the Court of Appeal didn’t invalidate the party’s primary elections.
He added that the judgment has no effect on the nomination of ADC candidates for the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described reports suggesting that the court had nullified the party’s presidential ticket as misleading and politically motivated.
He maintained that the appellate court’s judgment concerned only the conduct of the party’s ward, local government and state congresses for the election of executive committees, and not the statutory primary elections through which the ADC nominated its candidates.
According to the former Vice President, party congresses and primary elections are separate legal processes governed by different provisions of the law and should not be conflated.
“The judgment being celebrated relates to the conduct of state congresses and the tenure of State Executive Committees. It does not amount to a judicial nullification of the ADC’s primary elections conducted under the Electoral Act,” the statement said.
Atiku argued that courts are bound to determine only the issues placed before them, adding that any attempt to interpret the judgment as invalidating the party’s primaries amounts to a distortion of the law.
He accused political opponents of spreading misinformation to demoralise the opposition and mislead Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Our opponents appear more eager to write judgments on social media than to read the one delivered by the Court of Appeal. Nigeria is governed by the rule of law, not by headlines, hashtags or political propaganda,” he stated.
The former Vice President disclosed that the party had instructed its legal team to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court, expressing confidence that the apex court would provide a definitive interpretation of the issues arising from the case.
He urged ADC members and supporters across the country to remain calm, united and committed to the party’s objective of providing what he described as a credible alternative for Nigerians.
Atiku also encouraged party faithful to continue mobilising support for the ADC, insisting that no legal or political campaign would derail the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
“The road to 2027 remains open, and the resolve of the Nigerian people cannot be overturned by propaganda. Our destination remains unchanged,” the statement added.
