ADC welcomes court ruling on INEC guidelines, predicts defections from APC

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The African Democratic Congress has welcomed a Federal High Court ruling on deadlines for party primaries and other provisions contained in the electoral guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In a statement released on Thursday by Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the judgment as a vindication of its earlier objections to aspects of INEC’s regulations. According to the ADC, it had previously raised concerns over strict timelines relating to membership registration and the conduct of party primaries, arguing that some of the provisions contradicted constitutional principles.

“The decision of the Court on these issues, including those that directly contradict the Constitution, is therefore a welcome vindication of our position,” the party stated.

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The ADC also praised the aspect of the ruling, which it said removed restrictions affecting politicians seeking to contest elections on alternative political platforms.

According to the party, the judgment strengthens freedom of association and protects the rights of politicians to align with political parties of their choice.

The opposition party further alleged that the earlier restrictions were designed to discourage defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress. “We believed at the time that that particular restriction was designed to prevent people from leaving the ruling party, APC,” the statement added.

The ADC expressed confidence that the court’s decision could trigger fresh political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Now that the court has ruled against it, we are sure that, in the coming days, we will witness a mass exodus from the ruling party,” the party stated.

The ruling is expected to shape political calculations among parties and aspirants as preparations intensify ahead of the next electoral cycle in Nigeria, especially those who failed to secure party tickets in the primary elections.