ADC 2027 election clearance
The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that the Court of Appeal judgment nullifying the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress has removed a major legal obstacle to the party’s participation in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Atiku’s media office welcomed the unanimous decision delivered by a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday, describing it as a victory for constitutional democracy, political participation and the country’s multiparty system.
The appellate court set aside the June 15, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party.
According to the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court judgment was a nullity because the trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case and the suit was instituted by an entity that did not possess the legal capacity to sue.
The ruling means the five affected organisations remain registered political parties and may continue their activities unless the judgment is successfully challenged before a higher court.
The ADC 2027 election clearance was immediately celebrated by Atiku’s camp as confirmation that the opposition party would be on the ballot when Nigerians elect a president, federal lawmakers, governors and state legislators in 2027.
However, the political declaration must be distinguished from the precise legal effect of the judgment. The Court of Appeal restored the registration of the ADC and four other parties. Atiku’s camp then interpreted that restoration, together with separate judgments concerning the party’s leadership, as clearing the ADC’s route to the election.
Atiku camp welcomes appellate judgment
In a statement issued after the judgment, the Atiku Media Office said the Court of Appeal had removed the legal threat that could have prevented the ADC from fielding candidates in the next general elections.
The media office described the decision as a landmark ruling and praised the appellate justices for what it called their commitment to the Constitution and democratic justice.
It argued that the ADC 2027 election clearance became more significant when considered alongside an earlier Federal High Court judgment that recognised the National Executive Committee led by former Senate President David Mark.
According to Atiku’s camp, the two decisions addressed questions surrounding both the legal registration of the party and the leadership authorised to manage its affairs.
The statement maintained that no pending case currently challenges the David Mark-led leadership in a manner capable of removing the party from the 2027 ballot.
That is a strong political and legal assertion, but any subsequent appeal or fresh litigation could introduce another layer of uncertainty. The final position will depend on whether the respondents accept the appellate judgment or approach the Supreme Court.
For now, the Court of Appeal’s decision is binding and INEC must continue recognising the ADC, Accord, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party as registered political parties.
Appeal Court declares lower court judgment a nullity
The Court of Appeal allowed the separate appeals filed by the affected political parties and vacated the Federal High Court judgment in its entirety.
The panel, led by Justice Abba Mohammed, held that the trial court wrongly assumed jurisdiction over an incompetent case instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators.
The appellate court reportedly found that the forum was a non-juristic entity and therefore lacked the legal capacity to initiate the action.
A non-juristic body is an organisation that the law does not recognise as possessing the independent capacity to sue or be sued in its own name.
The court consequently held that there was no competent suit upon which the Federal High Court could base an order directing INEC to deregister the five parties.
This jurisdictional finding is central to the ADC 2027 election clearance because a court cannot make valid substantive orders where the action before it is legally incompetent.
Jurisdiction is the legal authority of a court to hear and determine a matter. Where jurisdiction is absent, the proceedings and resulting judgment may be declared invalid regardless of the arguments presented by the parties.
Appellate court says evidence was ignored
Beyond the jurisdictional problem, the Court of Appeal also faulted the Federal High Court’s handling of evidence concerning the electoral performance of the affected parties.
The appellate court said the lower court failed to properly evaluate evidence showing that some of the parties had won elective positions in previous elections.
The original action was based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers INEC to deregister political parties under specified circumstances.
Among the relevant conditions are failure to win a required percentage of votes in certain elections and failure to secure at least one elective seat at national, state or local government level.
The National Forum of Former Legislators argued that the ADC and four other parties did not meet the constitutional performance requirements following the 2023 general elections and subsequent polls.
The Court of Appeal, however, held that evidence relevant to the parties’ electoral achievements was not properly considered before the sweeping deregistration order was issued.
The finding strengthened the ADC 2027 election clearance, as the appellate court did not merely identify a technical error. It also questioned the evidential basis on which the Federal High Court concluded that all five parties had failed the constitutional test.
Trial judge criticised for defying stay order
The Court of Appeal further criticised Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court for delivering the deregistration judgment despite an earlier appellate order directing him to suspend proceedings.
On May 22, 2026, the Court of Appeal ordered the trial court to stay further action pending the determination of an interlocutory appeal.
Despite being informed of the order, Justice Lifu delivered judgment on June 15 and directed INEC to remove the five parties from its register.
The Court of Appeal subsequently stayed the enforcement of that decision on June 16, less than 24 hours after it was delivered.
In its final judgment, the appellate panel described the lower court’s conduct in severe terms, stressing that judges of lower courts are required to respect subsisting orders issued by superior courts.
This aspect of the ADC 2027 election clearance has implications beyond the political parties involved.
Nigeria’s judicial system operates through a hierarchy. The Federal High Court is bound by decisions and directives of the Court of Appeal, while the Court of Appeal is bound by the Supreme Court.
Permitting lower courts to disregard superior court orders would encourage conflicting decisions and weaken public confidence in judicial authority.
Five political parties restored
The parties directly covered by the appellate judgment are:
- African Democratic Congress
- Accord Party
- Action Alliance
- Action Peoples Party
- Zenith Labour Party
The Federal High Court had restrained INEC from recognising the parties, accepting their nominated candidates or allowing them to participate in future elections.
The Court of Appeal has now vacated those restrictions and declared that the parties remain duly registered.
Although Atiku’s media office focused principally on the ADC 2027 election clearance, the decision is equally important to candidates and members of the other four parties.
The Accord Party, for instance, has become politically significant in Osun State, where Governor Ademola Adeleke is pursuing his re-election ambitions on its platform.
The judgment therefore protects not only Atiku’s presidential campaign but also governorship, legislative and local political interests connected to the other restored parties.
What the judgment means for INEC
INEC must give effect to the Court of Appeal judgment unless the decision is stayed or overturned by the Supreme Court.
The electoral commission had also challenged the Federal High Court decision and supported the effort to prevent its enforcement.
INEC maintained that the trial court should not have continued with the proceedings after the Court of Appeal issued an order directing a stay.
The commission must now continue recognising the five parties and processing their lawful activities, candidate submissions and other electoral documentation in accordance with the Constitution, Electoral Act and applicable regulations.
For the ADC, the ADC 2027 election clearance means that deregistration can no longer be used, on the basis of the nullified Federal High Court judgment, to reject its presidential or legislative candidates.
Nevertheless, the party must still meet all election deadlines, submit candidates properly, comply with internal nomination rules and resolve any separate legal disputes affecting specific congresses or primaries.
Restoration of registration does not excuse non-compliance with other electoral requirements.
Atiku camp links judgment to leadership victory
Atiku’s media office also referred to an earlier judgment involving the leadership of the ADC.
The party became engulfed in a leadership conflict after former Senate President David Mark and other prominent opposition politicians assumed control of its national structure in 2025.
The transition was challenged by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who claimed that he was the legitimate national chairman under the party’s constitution.
The dispute passed through the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, creating uncertainty over which faction INEC should recognise.
On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court set aside an earlier Court of Appeal order that required the parties to maintain the status quo while proceedings remained unresolved. The Supreme Court directed that the pending processes before the lower court be determined according to law.
Atiku’s camp now says the deregistration judgment and the separate leadership decision have together secured the ADC 2027 election clearance.
The camp’s position is that the party has both valid registration and an identifiable executive authorised to conduct its affairs.
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Different court cases should not be confused
The legal disputes involving the ADC cover separate questions and must be reported carefully.
The deregistration case concerned whether the ADC and four other parties met the constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The leadership case concerned which faction or executive body lawfully controlled the ADC.
Another dispute concerned the validity of congresses organised by the David Mark-led executive and whether decisions concerning ward, local government and state structures complied with the party’s rules.
A judgment favourable to the ADC in one case does not automatically determine every issue in the other proceedings.
Therefore, while the Atiku Media Office has declared that the ADC 2027 election clearance is complete, Ogele News should attribute that conclusion directly to Atiku’s camp rather than present it as a direct quotation from the court.
The verified legal position is that the Court of Appeal has nullified the order deregistering the ADC and four other parties and declared that they remain registered.
Questions involving particular congresses, candidates or factional claims must be assessed according to the judgments delivered in those separate cases.
Major boost for Atiku’s presidential ambition
The deregistration order had posed an existential threat to Atiku’s presidential campaign.
Atiku emerged as the ADC presidential candidate in May 2026 after joining the party as part of an opposition coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the governing All Progressives Congress.
Had the Federal High Court judgment remained in force, INEC would have been prohibited from recognising the ADC or accepting candidates sponsored by it.
The Court of Appeal ruling therefore removes a threat that went beyond ordinary campaign disagreements. It concerned the legal existence of the political platform on which Atiku intends to contest.
The ADC 2027 election clearance allows his campaign to return its attention to voter mobilisation, policy communication, party reconciliation and preparations for the presidential contest.
Atiku still faces substantial political challenges.
He must unite members divided by the presidential primary, rebuild confidence among coalition partners and demonstrate that the ADC possesses effective structures across Nigeria’s states and polling units.
A courtroom victory protects the party’s legal status, but it does not guarantee electoral success.
Opposition party still faces internal tensions
The ADC’s emergence as a major opposition platform has attracted former governors, ministers, lawmakers and presidential aspirants from several political parties.
That expansion has increased its visibility but also intensified disputes over leadership, zoning, candidate selection and control of state structures.
Some members have questioned the presidential primary through which Atiku emerged, while others have challenged decisions taken by the David Mark-led executive.
The ADC 2027 election clearance gives the party breathing space, but internal reconciliation remains essential.
Political parties weakened by parallel executives, litigation and conflicting candidate lists often struggle to mount effective national campaigns.
The ADC must ensure that judgments obtained in court are followed by genuine political engagement with dissatisfied members.
Legal victory cannot substitute for internal democracy.
The party should publish clear records of congresses and primaries, establish credible appeal procedures and ensure that candidates understand the rules under which internal contests are conducted.
Judgment strengthens multiparty participation
The Court of Appeal judgment also raises wider questions about political pluralism in Nigeria.
Section 225A gives INEC constitutional authority to deregister political parties that fail specified requirements. That power is intended to prevent inactive organisations from remaining indefinitely on the electoral register.
However, deregistration must be based on credible evidence, proper procedure and a lawful exercise of jurisdiction.
The ADC 2027 election clearance demonstrates that courts will scrutinise both the identity of those seeking deregistration and the evidence used against affected parties.
A multiparty democracy must balance two legitimate concerns.
It must prevent political-party registration from becoming an unregulated exercise involving organisations with no meaningful presence. At the same time, it must protect citizens’ freedom to organise politically and challenge established parties.
Deregistration should never be used casually or as a tool for eliminating political competition.
Atiku’s camp celebrates, but appeal remains possible
The Atiku Media Office described the judgment as final confirmation that the ADC had successfully navigated its way to the 2027 ballot.
Politically, the celebration is understandable.
The Court of Appeal set aside the judgment in its entirety, restored the five parties and awarded costs against the organisation that initiated the deregistration case.
Legally, however, the respondents may still exercise any available right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
Unless a higher court stays or reverses the judgment, the current position remains that the ADC and the other four parties are validly registered.
The ADC 2027 election clearance should therefore be reported as a major and binding appellate victory, while recognising that Nigeria’s judicial system permits further appeal in appropriate cases.
Atiku’s campaign must avoid presenting the decision as judicial endorsement of his candidacy or political programme.
The court determined the registration dispute. Nigerian voters will determine whether Atiku and the ADC deserve to govern.
Electoral victory will require more than court judgments
The ruling removes a significant legal obstacle, but the ADC’s most difficult test remains political.
The party must persuade voters that it offers a credible alternative to the APC.
It must present policies addressing inflation, unemployment, insecurity, public debt, electricity, education, healthcare and declining household purchasing power.
It must recruit and train polling agents, build grassroots structures and protect its votes within the law.
The ADC 2027 election clearance creates the legal opportunity to participate. It does not supply the organisation, unity or public support required to win.
Atiku and the party leadership must also address concerns about repeated political defections and explain how the ADC differs ideologically and operationally from the parties its leading members previously belonged to.
The electorate will judge whether the coalition represents meaningful reform or another arrangement among established politicians.
A victory for due process
The most enduring significance of the judgment may be its defence of due process.
The Court of Appeal held that a deregistration order capable of excluding political parties and millions of potential voters could not stand when it arose from an incompetent suit before a court lacking jurisdiction.
It also insisted that evidence of electoral victories must be properly considered and orders of superior courts must be obeyed.
Those principles extend beyond Atiku, the ADC and the 2027 elections.
Courts must possess jurisdiction before deciding disputes. Claimants must have legal capacity. Evidence must be evaluated fairly. Judicial orders must be respected throughout the hierarchy.
The ADC 2027 election clearance is therefore both a political lifeline for Atiku’s campaign and a reminder that even constitutionally authorised deregistration must follow the law.
For now, the African Democratic Congress remains a registered political party, Atiku’s presidential campaign retains its platform, and INEC must treat the party accordingly.
Whether that legal victory becomes an electoral victory will be decided not in the courtroom, but by Nigerians at the ballot box in 2027.
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