Atiku's 2027 bid hit by court order deregistering ADC

Yesterday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party Atiku Abubakar recently adopted as his platform for the 2027 presidential election. Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the ADC, along with the Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, and Zenith Labour Party, failed to meet constitutional performance thresholds under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution. The suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

This judgement strikes at the heart of months of political realignment. Atiku left the PDP, joined the ADC, and just last month emerged as its presidential candidate. On the very day of the ruling, the party named Rotimi Amaechi, Atiku's former rival, as his running mate. Now the entire coalition faces fresh uncertainty. The ADC has vowed to appeal, with its National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi calling the ruling an attempt to sideline opposition parties through means that offend both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution.

Atiku has now contested for president six times under different parties. Each defection has carried a promise of a new beginning. Yet here we are again, watching the courts dismantle the latest platform before the campaign even begins. The question I keep asking myself is this: at what point do we stop blaming the judiciary and start asking why our political class keeps building coalitions on sand rather than rock?