Atiku hails Appeal Court ruling halting deregistration of ADC, other parties

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had on Monday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party.

However, the Court of Appeal on Tuesday granted a stay of execution on the judgment, effectively preserving the parties’ registration status pending the determination of the appeal.

Reacting in a statement posted on his X handle, the former Vice President described the appellate court’s intervention as a positive development and welcomed INEC’s role in seeking the stay of execution.

“I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgment seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay,” he wrote.

Atiku also criticised what he described as contradictions in recent judicial decisions in the matter, warning that such developments could attract public scrutiny of the judiciary.