The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has welcomed the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on issues relating to deadlines for political party primaries and other electoral matters.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the party described the ruling as a confirmation of concerns it had earlier raised over certain provisions contained in the guidelines released by the electoral commission.
The statement, signed by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party had strongly opposed aspects of the regulations, particularly those relating to timelines for membership registration and the conduct of party primaries.
According to the party, 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 stated that 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 All Progressives Congress, APC.
“We believed at the time that that particular restriction was designed to prevent people from leaving the ruling party, APC.
“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 statement added.