The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected a Federal High Court ruling ordering its deregistration, calling the judgment an attack on Nigeria's democracy and a tactic to eliminate opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued Monday by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it would challenge the ruling through all constitutional and legal means and remain on the ballot. The court had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister ADC and four other parties over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for electoral performance.
Abdullahi stated the issue was no longer about party registration but whether Nigerians would have genuine political choices in 2027. He accused unnamed forces of attempting to suppress alternative voices and warned that democracy should not be decided by powerful interests manipulating institutions meant to be impartial. "Let it be clearly stated: the ADC will not stand by while the democratic rights of millions of Nigerians are threatened. We reject any and all attempts to intimidate, suppress, deregister or politically extinguish our party and other opposition parties through means that offend both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution," he said.
The party alleged the ruling was part of a broader strategy to weaken opposition forces and ensure President Bola Tinubu secures a second term without real contest. It plans to petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the conduct of the presiding judge, citing "judicial rascality" and actions that could bring the judiciary into disrepute. ADC urged its members, supporters and coalition partners to remain calm, vigilant and continue mobilising for political engagements.
The ADC condemns judicial interference while accusing the ruling party of plotting to eliminate opposition, yet offers no evidence linking the court's ruling to APC. It claims millions of Nigerians back its cause but provides no data on membership or electoral support to justify remaining on the ballot. The party's threat to petition the NJC rests solely on allegations of misconduct, not proven facts, risking the very institutional integrity it says it wants to protect. If the ADC believes democracy is under threat, its next move must be legal clarity, not political theatrics.
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