Court-ordered deregistration of ADC politically motivated — Bolaji Abdullahi
ADC Official Calls Court’s Deregistration Ruling Politically Motivated
Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), criticized a Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the party, labeling it as a politically motivated action designed to undermine opposition and erode public trust in the judiciary.
Abdullahi’s comments came during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday. The ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC along with four other political parties, citing their failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration under Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution.
Despite the court’s findings, Abdullahi maintained that the legal proceedings were politically charged. “We actually don’t think it’s legal. What is unfolding is political. The court is just the vehicle for promoting the political agenda,” he stated.
He further asserted that the implications of the ruling extend beyond the ADC, impacting the credibility of Nigeria’s judicial system. Abdullahi claimed that the action was prompted by the former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, who recently emerged as the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate, insinuating that the ruling aimed to diminish the party’s momentum generated by this announcement.
Abdullahi also raised concerns about the validity of the ruling, noting that the Court of Appeal had previously instructed the Federal High Court to stay proceedings until October 27. “The Court of Appeal has ordered the Federal High Court to stay proceedings on this matter until October 27,” he said, calling the continuation of the case inconsistent with established legal principles.
Furthermore, he rejected claims that the ADC failed to satisfy constitutional or electoral criteria necessary for its registration. He pointed out that INEC, a party to the suit, had submitted an affidavit indicating that the ADC did not fall into the category of parties subject to deregistration.
According to Abdullahi, INEC had acknowledged that the party met all requirements for continued existence, leading him to question the rationale behind seeking its deregistration after over two decades of participation in Nigeria’s political landscape. He affirmed that the ADC will continue to defend its legal status and challenge any effort aimed at its removal from the political arena.
