Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja striking out a suit challenging the leadership of the party, describing the ruling as a victory for constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
Justice Musa Liman had dismissed the suit, holding that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of the ADC, over which the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction.
Reacting in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the judgment reaffirmed the legal principle that disputes arising from the internal affairs of political parties should be resolved through mechanisms provided in their constitutions.
According to him, the court rightly found that the plaintiffs failed to exhaust the internal remedies available under the ADC constitution and lacked the legal standing required to institute the action.
“The court could not have been clearer. It rightly held that the matter borders on the internal affairs of the ADC, that the Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction, and that the plaintiffs neither exhausted the internal remedies provided by the party’s constitution nor established the locus standi required to invoke the jurisdiction of the court,” the statement read.
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Atiku commended Justice Liman for what he described as refusing to allow the judiciary to become “an extension of partisan political warfare.”
He alleged that there had been sustained efforts by unnamed political actors to weaken opposition parties through litigation and the manipulation of public institutions.
“We are particularly encouraged because this judgment comes at a time when certain desperate elements operating from the corridors of power have sought, through every conceivable means, to destabilise the opposition and frustrate the growing aspirations of millions of Nigerians who desire democratic change.
“From failed attempts to deregister political parties, to the sponsorship of proxy litigations, to the manipulation of institutions, Nigerians have witnessed an orchestrated campaign to weaken opposition politics. Today’s decision is a resounding affirmation that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and cannot be intimidated into legitimising political mischief,” he said.
The former vice president also defended the legitimacy of the party’s current leadership, insisting that the National Working Committee led by former Senate President David Mark emerged through a lawful and transparent process in line with the ADC constitution.
“The David Mark-led National Working Committee emerged through a lawful and transparent process in accordance with the constitution of our great party. No amount of forum shopping or judicial adventurism can alter that fact,” Atiku stated.
He urged members of the party to remain united and focused on building the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections, stressing that the court victory should not be seen as an opportunity for celebration but as a reminder of the need to strengthen democratic institutions.
The suit challenging the ADC leadership was filed amid ongoing political realignments within the opposition following the adoption of the party as the platform for a coalition of opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.
