Court of Appeal blocks deregistration of ADC, Accord, 3 other parties

The Court of Appeal has blocked execution of deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Accord Party and 3 others as ordered by the Federal High Court.

CAPITAL POST reported on Monday that the Justice Peter Lifu-led Federal High Court on Monday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to deregister the ADC, Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party, and Action Peoples Party (APP) for flouting Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution.

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The litigants operating under the aegis of National Forum of Former former Legislators approach the Court to enforce the provision on ground that those political parties didn’t produce any elected official in the last election.

The presiding Judge Peter Lifu having satisfied with the motion brought before him on Monday ordered INEC to deregister the affected parties, having failed to secure 25 per cent of the votes in the last general election.

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Upholding the submission, the presiding judge maintained that the affected parties failed to fulfil constitutional threshold under Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution.

Lifu stressed further in the judgement and barred the electoral umpire from recognising or accepting nomination of candidates from the affected political parties.

He added that the affected political parties’ activities ahead of 2027 general election shouldn’t be given effect by the INEC.

But the interlocutory appeal by the Accord Party effectively double crossed the judgement of the joinder of parties on Tuesday at the Court of Appeal, Abuja division and was set aside.
In a follow up of their judgement, the NNFL were in Court to ensure implementation of the judgement by the INEC.

The NNFL through their legal counsel Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), drew the attention of the justices to the high court’s violation of the Constitution by proceeding with the judgment despite a pending order of May 22 by the Court of Appeal staying further proceedings in the matter after it appealed the May 20 order of the court refusing to stay proceedings.

He informed the appellate court that the order was made by a three-member panel comprising Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi, directing the lower court judge to stay proceedings until all issues relating to the appeal filed by Accord Party were resolved.

He said all relevant processes were filed, including the affidavit of facts on May 26, only for them to receive a notice on Monday that his lordship was about to deliver judgment.

“Myself and counsel to the 4th respondent and 6th (APP) drew the attention his lordship’s attention to your lordships’ order. His lordship ignored your lordships’ order and proceeded to deliver judgement”.

In a short ruling, the three-member panel held that the appellate court has a duty to invoke its powers to ensure that its orders are obeyed.

“Enforcement of the judgement of the trial court delivered on June 15 2026 is hereby stayed pending the hearing and determination of appeal filed by the appellant”, the Court of Appeal held.

The Court then adjourned till June 25 at 2pm for the hearing of all pending appeals.

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