The former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said every Nigerian who believes in democracy, political pluralism, and the rule of law should be alarmed by the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering the de-registration of African Democratic Congress ( ADC) and four other political parties.
Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said this is because of it he judgment fits into an increasingly obvious pattern of alleged political persecution and institutional manipulation aimed at weakening opposition parties before the 2027 polls .
A Federal High Court, in Abuja, on Monday, while delivering judgment
in a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators ordered the deregistration of the ADC, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued existence as political parties.
However, Atiku, who is also the ADC 2027 presidential candidate, noted that the judgment was particularly troubling, as it was delivered in the face of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal which had expressly stayed further proceedings in the matter pending the determination of an appeal.
According to him, “the judgment represents a dangerous escalation of authoritarian tactics and a blatant assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
What makes the situation even more disturbing is that this judgment was purportedly delivered despite a clear and subsisting order of the Court of Appeal.
” 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.
“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.
“This latest judgment therefore does not merely contradict a subsisting appellate order; it strikes at the very foundation of legal certainty and constitutional governance. If court orders can be treated as optional whenever they become inconvenient to those in power, then the rule of law itself is in grave danger.”
The former Vice President added that
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the Tinubu administration is singularly focused on eliminating major political opponents ahead of 2027.
“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. 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.”
Nevertheless, , Atiku noted that
no amount of political desperation can override the Constitution, extinguish the opposition, or silence the democratic aspirations of millions of Nigerians who desire change.
