The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed concerns that Monday’s judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja could invalidate its recently concluded direct primaries, insisting that the ruling has no bearing on the emergence of its candidates for elective offices.
In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party clarified that the appellate court’s decision was limited to issues surrounding its ward, local government and state executive committee congresses and did not extend to the direct primary elections conducted by the party.
The clarification comes amid growing public interest in the implications of the judgment for the ADC, particularly as the party positions itself as a major opposition force ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the party, the Court of Appeal ruling does not invalidate or affect the candidates who emerged through its direct primaries at any level.
“We wish to assure members of the Party and the general public that this judgment has no effect whatsoever on the direct primaries through which the Party’s candidates have emerged at all levels,” the statement read.
While rejecting the appellate court’s verdict, the ADC disclosed that it has already commenced the legal process of challenging the judgment at the Supreme Court, describing the decision as “legally unsustainable.”
The party maintained that it respectfully disagrees with the majority judgment and believes the law was better interpreted in the dissenting opinion delivered by the presiding Justice.
According to the statement, the dissenting judgment more accurately reflects what the party described as the settled position of the law as well as the ADC’s arguments before the court.
The development is expected to keep the legal dispute alive as the matter moves to Nigeria’s apex court.
Despite the litigation, the party urged its members and supporters across the country not to panic or be distracted, assuring them that its political activities, including the candidacy of those who emerged from its direct primaries, remain unaffected.
The ADC also appealed for calm, confidence and unity among its supporters while the legal process runs its course.
Reaffirming its political ambitions, the party said it remains committed to providing Nigerians with what it described as a credible alternative to the current administration, adding that it will continue to pursue its objectives within the framework of the Constitution and the rule of law.
