The African Democratic Congress has welcomed a Federal High Court judgment on deadlines for party primaries, describing it as a victory for democracy and a blow to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the ADC said the ruling confirmed concerns it had earlier raised about certain provisions in the guidelines released by the electoral commission.
The statement was signed by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
The party said it had strongly opposed aspects of the regulations, particularly those relating to timelines for membership registration and the conduct of party primaries.
According to the ADC, the court’s position on some of the disputed provisions validates its earlier objections.
“The decision of the Court on these issues, including those that directly contradict the Constitution, is therefore a welcome vindication of our position,” the statement read.
The ADC further said the judgment removing restrictions that could hinder politicians from contesting elections on alternative political platforms was a positive development for Nigeria’s democracy.
The party argued that the disputed guideline had appeared targeted at discouraging politicians from leaving the ruling APC.
“We believed at the time that that particular restriction was designed to prevent people from leaving the ruling party, APC,” the party said.
The ADC added: “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.”
