ADC judgment threatens all opposition parties — Coalition

The Coalition for Democracy has expressed concern that a recent Federal High Court judgment, which nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its presidential candidacy, may set a dangerous precedent for all opposition parties in Nigeria. Speaking on Friday, the coalition's spokesperson, Salihu Lukman, warned that this ruling could be the first of many attacks on political pluralism ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lukman called for a united front against what he described as efforts to undermine political competition, urging opposition parties, civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association, organized labor, the media, and patriotic Nigerians to resist such attempts in a peaceful and lawful manner. He emphasized that Thursday's judgment represented a significant escalation in what he characterized as a systematic campaign to eliminate credible opposition, and he warned that similar actions could be taken against other opposition parties in the future.

Lukman acknowledged the judiciary's right to grant legal redress but cautioned against any perception that courts are tools for suppressing political competition. He stated that a government unwilling to tolerate opposition lacks the moral authority to claim democratic legitimacy. The coalition also expressed solidarity with the ADC, which has chosen to appeal the judgment through higher courts, and called on other political parties and democratic institutions to speak out against actions that weaken Nigeria's multiparty system.