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Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has condemned a High Court ruling ordering the deregistration of the party, describing it as an attack on Nigeria’s democratic system.
The court in Abuja on Monday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties over their failure to meet the required electoral performance thresholds in the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections.
The affected parties include the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
In a statement issued on Monday by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, Atiku said the judgment amounted to what he described as a dangerous escalation of authoritarian tendencies and an assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
He also alleged that the ruling reflected efforts to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former vice-president expressed concern that the decision was delivered despite a pending order of the Court of Appeal halting further proceedings in the case.
He noted that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had, on May 22, 2026, granted a stay of proceedings in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025, pending the determination of the appeal.
He argued that a stay of proceedings should have halted all further steps in the matter, including the delivery of judgment, adding that any action contrary to that order raises questions about respect for judicial hierarchy and the rule of law.
“On May 22, 2026, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, granted an application staying further proceedings in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025 pending the hearing and determination of the appeal before it,” he said.
“The implication of that order is not ambiguous. A stay of proceedings means precisely what it says. It freezes every further step in the matter, including the delivery of judgment.
“Any action taken contrary to that order raises serious questions about respect for the hierarchy of courts and fidelity to the rule of law.”
Atiku further alleged that the decision formed part of a broader pattern of political pressure targeting opposition parties.
He said it was becoming clear, in his view, that the government was prioritising political control over national challenges such as insecurity, poverty, unemployment and economic hardship.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the Tinubu administration is singularly focused on eliminating major political opponents ahead of 2027,” he said.
“Rather than confronting the mounting crises facing the nation—rampant insecurity, economic hardship, rising poverty, unemployment, and the declining purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians—the government appears consumed by a desperate quest to neutralise every viable opposition platform. This is not governance. It is political elimination by other means.”
He described the situation as political elimination presented as governance.
According to him, democratic institutions are coming under increasing strain, with opposition parties being deliberately targeted.
He urged ADC members and supporters of democratic governance not to be discouraged by the ruling. He added that the issue goes beyond party politics and concerns the survival of Nigeria’s democracy.
Atiku said the party would pursue all legal and constitutional avenues to challenge the judgment.
“The Nigerian people can see what is happening. Opposition parties are being targeted. Democratic institutions are being pressured. State power is increasingly being deployed not for national development but for political survival,” he said.
“We wish to reassure all members of the ADC, our supporters, and all Nigerians who believe in democratic competition that we will not be intimidated by these desperate manoeuvres.
“The battle before us transcends political parties. It is a battle for the soul of Nigerian democracy.
“It is a battle between those who believe in freedom of choice and those who seek to impose political uniformity through intimidation and institutional capture,”he said.
“We shall continue to pursue all lawful and constitutional avenues to defend our party, protect democratic freedoms, and preserve the multiparty system which remains the cornerstone of our constitutional order,” he added.
He also called on the judiciary, civil society organisations and the media to remain vigilant in defending democratic institutions, stressing that Nigeria’s democracy must not be allowed to erode.
“Nigeria’s democracy was not won cheaply. It must not be surrendered cheaply,” he said.
