The All Democratic Alliance, ADA, has rejected the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja over its leadership tussle.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Leye Igbabo, on Tuesday, the association described the judgment as an attempt to hand control of the association to individuals it says no longer belong to the group.

This came a day after the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to release the party registration access code to the Chief Akin Ricketts-led faction.

ADA said it has already directed its legal team to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, disclosing that it is seeking an immediate stay of execution to prevent the enforcement of the ruling.

It added that the court’s decision, if implemented, could disrupt an already completed registration process and create confusion within the association’s leadership structure.

“For clarity, the Court did not order the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the All Democratic Alliance as a political party. Rather, the Court directed INEC to release the registration access code to Chief Akin Ricketts to recommence the registration process.

“The change in the leadership of the Association was effectively and formally communicated to INEC before now, and the Commission had acknowledged and deemed the change to have been effected accordingly.

“Consequently, the registration process has since been completed by the Prince Uche Secondus- and Dr Umar Ardo-led National Executive Committee,” the statement read.

The Kwankwasiyya Movement has issued a stern warning against any attempt to cripple opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.

The group, in a statement, said the court judgment against the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, raised troubling questions about Nigeria’s democratic integrity.

It stated that the judgment, which set aside an earlier order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register the NDC, had deepened fears that powerful interests were working to shrink the democratic space before the next election.

The movement said it respected the judiciary as the final arbiter in legal disputes but maintained that the judgment had serious implications for political pluralism.

It further noted that millions of Nigerians are yearning for credible alternatives to the current administration and must not be denied the right to freely choose from a broad field of political options.

According to the movement, the timing of the case had fuelled suspicion, especially as INEC had already commenced activities under its timetable for the 2027 general election, including processes leading to party nominations and the submission of candidates.

“We’ll resist any plot to cripple the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. The litigation has suddenly assumed renewed urgency precisely when the Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced activities under the timetable for the 2027 general elections, including processes leading to party nominations and candidate submissions,” the statement said.

The senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Victor Umeh, has dismissed the claims of the Peace Movement Party (PMP) over ownership of the “V for Victory” sign, describing it as a universal symbol that cannot be monopolised by an unregistered political association.

Umeh, who spoke to journalists, said exclusive rights to political party names, logos and symbols are conferred only by law and regulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The senator, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), explained that a symbol or logo becomes the legally protected property of a political party only after the party has been duly registered by INEC.

“The logo does not belong to the PMP because it is not a registered political party,” Umeh said. “A symbol becomes exclusive to a party only upon formal registration with INEC.”

He added that the “V for Victory” sign is a globally recognised symbol that has historically been used by leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

According to him, the gesture cannot be appropriated by an unregistered group to prevent a duly registered political party from using it.

The controversy follows a ruling by the Federal High Court that sought to halt the registration of the NDC. The decision came shortly after prominent opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, aligned with the party.

Umeh described the legal action filed against the NDC following the alignment as a targeted “judicial ambush.”

He further alleged that the PMP was being used as a proxy to frustrate the NDC’s participation in the 2027 general election.

With the NDC’s registration now before the Court of Appeal, party leaders expressed confidence that the appellate court would uphold its right to participate in the 2027 general election.