Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to remain calm and focused following a Court of Appeal judgment concerning the party's internal processes. He stated the ruling did not invalidate the ADC's primary elections for the 2027 general elections, as some narratives suggest. The judgment, according to Atiku, pertains only to the conduct of state congresses and the tenure of State Executive Committees, not the statutory primary elections used to nominate candidates. He dismissed attempts to frame the decision as a collapse of the ADC's presidential ambitions as misinformation.
Atiku emphasized there is a legal distinction between electing party executives through internal congresses and nominating candidates through primaries, which are governed by separate principles under the Electoral Act. He warned against misrepresenting the court's decision, noting that judicial rulings address only the specific issues presented before them. Any effort to extend the judgment's scope beyond its actual content amounts to legal misrepresentation. He accused political opponents of prioritizing social media narratives over judicial facts.
His statement, issued by Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication Phrank Shaibu, confirmed that the ADC's legal team has been directed to appeal to the Supreme Court for a final determination on the matter. Atiku expressed full confidence in the judiciary and reiterated that the ADC's path to 2027 remains intact. He urged party members nationwide to continue mobilizing and organizing, stressing that the movement for competent leadership and national recovery cannot be derailed by propaganda.
Atiku insists the Court of Appeal ruling does not affect the ADC's primary elections, yet his need to clarify suggests the judgment has already created confusion within the party's support base. His appeal for calm implies that the legal distinction he describes is not widely understood, leaving room for doubt among supporters. If the ruling only touches on internal party congresses, then the urgency of a Supreme Court appeal raises questions about the ADC's internal governance. The path to 2027 may be open, but the party's legal and messaging challenges are now in plain sight.
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