The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has said the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday has no effect on the direct primaries through which its candidates emerged at all levels.
The party said the judgment relates only to congresses conducted for the election of ward, local government and state executive committees, and not to the primaries that produced its candidates for the 2027 general election.
In a statement, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party had taken note of the judgment but disagreed with it.
He said the ADC had already commenced the process of appealing the decision, which the party considers legally unsustainable.
According to Abdullahi, the party respectfully disagrees with the majority decision and believes that the dissenting judgment of the presiding Justice better reflects the settled position of the law and the position of the party.
He said, “The judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday has no effect whatsoever on the direct primaries through which the party’s candidates have emerged at all levels.”
Abdullahi added that the party “has already commenced the process of appealing the judgment, which we respectfully disagree with and consider to be legally unsustainable.”
He further noted that the ADC had also taken note of the dissenting judgment of the presiding Justice, which, according to him, “more accurately reflects the settled position of the law and the Party’s position.”
The ADC urged its members, candidates and supporters across the country to remain calm, confident and focused, insisting that its electoral process remains intact.
The party said it remained committed to providing Nigerians with what it described as a credible alternative and would continue to pursue its political mission in line with the Constitution and the rule of law.
The latest development comes amid a series of legal and political disputes involving the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election.
TNL had earlier reported that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, of allegedly weakening opposition parties by granting rival factional leaders access to the commission’s nomination portal, a claim that triggered controversy within the ADC.
INEC later denied claims by ADC factional figure, Nafiu Bala, that his group had gained access to the commission’s nomination portal and uploaded candidates for the party, insisting that the claim was not true.
A review of INEC’s political parties portal also showed that Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola remained listed as the ADC National Chairman and National Secretary respectively.
The ADC has repeatedly maintained that the leadership recognised by INEC remains the only authority competent to act for the party in nomination and other official matters.
The party’s latest statement appears aimed at calming members and candidates following concerns that the Court of Appeal judgment could affect candidates who emerged through its direct primaries.
However, Abdullahi insisted that there was no such effect, stressing that the case before the Court of Appeal was about internal congresses for party executive committees and not the validity of candidates already produced through primaries.
The party said it would challenge the judgment through the appellate process while continuing preparations for the 2027 general election.
The ADC also called on its supporters to avoid panic, saying its focus remained on building a national platform capable of offering Nigerians an alternative under democratic and constitutional processes.
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