Atiku welcomes Appeal Court’s stay of execution on ADC deregistration judgment
By KEMI KASUMU
“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,” Atiku stated.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeal to stay the execution of a Federal High Court judgment ordering deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties in Nigeria.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had on Monday June 15, 2026 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 June 16 granted a stay of execution of the judgment, temporarily preserving the registration status of the affected parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to the development in a statement posted on his X account, Atiku described the appellate court’s intervention as a welcome 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 stated.
The former Vice President also expressed concern over what he described as conflicting judicial decisions in the matter, warning that such developments could further place the judiciary under public scrutiny.
The appeal court’s ruling provides temporary relief for the affected political parties as the legal battle over their status continues.
