Atiku reacts to Appeal Court’s stay of deregistration on ADC, four 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 ordering the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties.

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

The Court of Appeal, however, on Tuesday granted a stay of execution on the Federal High Court judgment, temporarily preserving the parties’ registration status ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Reacting in a statement posted on his X handle, the former Vice President said the appellate court’s intervention was a positive development.

“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.

He equally criticised what he described as judicial contradictions and rulings in the ongoing legal dispute, warning that such developments place the judiciary under public scrutiny.