Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has insisted that the outcome of Nigeria's 2027 general election should be determined by the electorate at the ballot box rather than through litigation.

Atiku made the assertion on Tuesday while reacting to the Court of Appeal's decision overturning a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.

The appellate court's ruling effectively clears the legal hurdles surrounding the ADC's leadership, allowing the party to focus on preparations for the 2027 elections instead of defending its existence in court.

In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, the former vice president praised the Justices of the Court of Appeal for what he described as their courage, fidelity to the Constitution, and unwavering commitment to justice. He said the judgment had strengthened constitutional democracy and reinforced public confidence in Nigeria's judicial system.

"As the nation advances towards the 2027 general elections, political contests must be decided by the votes of Nigerians—not by contrived lawsuits seeking to achieve in the courtroom what cannot be won at the ballot box," Atiku said.

He noted that the Court of Appeal's judgment, together with an earlier ruling by Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, which affirmed the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, has effectively ended all legal disputes over the party's leadership ahead of the 2027 polls.

According to him, the decisions firmly establish the ADC's legal status to participate in the next general election.

The statement further explained that the appellate court declared the June 15 judgment delivered by Justice Lifu a nullity because it was issued in defiance of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal. It also held that the respondents lacked the locus standi to institute the suit, describing their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable.

The court also clarified that Section 225A of the Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively. It ruled that the suit was premature because the Osun and Ekiti election cycles were still ongoing at the time it was filed.

Atiku further said the Court of Appeal faulted the trial court for disregarding unchallenged affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which confirmed that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with all constitutional and statutory requirements.

"Having accepted INEC's evidence, the lower court had no legal basis to manufacture additional conditions in order to arrive at what the Court of Appeal rightly described as a perverse decision," he added.

Describing the judgment as one whose significance extends beyond the fortunes of a single political party, Atiku said it represents a victory for constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and every Nigerian who believes in free and fair political competition.

"The strength of a democracy lies not in the exclusion of political opponents but in allowing the people to freely determine their leaders through the ballot," he stated.

He also warned against the use of the judiciary and other state institutions as instruments of political manipulation, saying such actions could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions and weaken Nigeria's constitutional order.

"The judiciary must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space," he cautioned.

Atiku concluded by commending the Court of Appeal justices for delivering what he described as a courageous, impartial, and constitutionally sound judgment, saying the ruling reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law over political expediency and further strengthened confidence in the administration of justice.