Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Timi Frank, has cautioned against the reported court-ordered deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other opposition parties, warning that such a move could threaten Nigeria’s democratic stability.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Frank described the development as an attack on multi-party democracy and alleged that it formed part of a broader attempt to weaken opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He also appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump and the international community to pay close attention to political developments in Nigeria and support efforts to preserve democratic competition.
According to Frank, reports suggested that the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Mohammed A. Danjuma, had previously directed Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court to suspend further proceedings pending the hearing of an appeal scheduled for October 27, 2026.
However, Frank questioned the circumstances surrounding the reported judgment, alleging that it was delivered without proper notice to the parties involved.
“The judgment came suddenly without prior notice to the parties involved. From the information available to us, it appeared that the judgment had been prepared elsewhere and simply delivered by the court,” he alleged.
He further claimed that neither the parties nor their lawyers were informed beforehand that the judgment was ready.
“Nobody knew about it. There was no information and no briefing, even to the lawyers representing the parties. The judgment was given suddenly. It was something they plotted and cooked up to make it look legitimate without even notifying the parties involved,” Frank alleged.
Describing the decision as a “mystery judgment,” he claimed it was intended to achieve a predetermined political objective.
“It must be noted that any attempt by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and those working with him to deregister political parties, particularly major opposition parties such as the ADC, will give rise to a crisis that may be difficult to contain,” he said.
Frank argued that the issue goes beyond party politics and concerns the protection of constitutional freedoms and democratic rights.
He also accused the government of pursuing actions aimed at weakening opposition parties and expressed concerns about the perceived independence of the judiciary.
“A government where a serving minister builds houses for judges, provides vehicles, allocates land and extends other benefits to members of the judiciary raises legitimate concerns. There is a growing perception that the judiciary has been captured by forces within government,” he alleged.
The former APC spokesman maintained that many Nigerians view the African Democratic Congress as a political platform with broad national appeal and warned against efforts to undermine it.
“The ADC and its presidential candidate represent, in the eyes of many Nigerians, a national movement that cuts across ethnic, regional and religious divides. Any attempt to cripple such a platform for political reasons will fail,” he said.
Frank further alleged that some political interests were working to limit participation by certain contenders in the next presidential election.
He warned that attempts to reduce political competition could have serious consequences for national unity and democratic governance.
“Nigeria is a country of over 200 million people. Any desperate attempt to turn the country into a one-party state could trigger unrest and a crisis that nobody can control. The consequences for national unity and democratic governance would be severe,” he warned.
He called on democratic institutions, civil society groups, religious leaders, youth organisations, and professional bodies to protect Nigeria’s democratic gains and urged foreign governments to closely monitor the country’s political landscape.