The Court of Appeal in Abuja has granted a reprieve to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties by ordering a stay of execution of a Federal High Court judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister them.
The appellate court’s decision came barely a day after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to remove the ADC, Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) from the register of political parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
In a unanimous ruling delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed, the Court of Appeal suspended the enforcement of the lower court’s judgment pending the determination of the substantive appeal. The appellate court reportedly faulted the trial court for proceeding with and delivering judgment despite an earlier order directing that proceedings be halted while an appeal on related issues was pending.
The Federal High Court judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, had followed a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators. The plaintiffs argued that the affected parties no longer met the constitutional threshold for retaining their registration, citing provisions that empower INEC to deregister parties that fail to win elective seats or attain specified electoral performance benchmarks.
Justice Lifu subsequently ordered INEC to deregister the five parties and barred them from participating in future elections. The ruling generated widespread political reactions, particularly because it affected parties expected to play significant roles in upcoming elections.
However, the Court of Appeal’s latest intervention means the affected parties will, for now, remain on INEC’s register while the legal battle continues. The appellate court held that maintaining the status quo was necessary until the substantive issues raised on appeal are fully determined.
The ADC had earlier rejected the Federal High Court ruling and vowed to challenge it through all available legal channels, describing the decision as inconsistent with constitutional and democratic principles.
The case is expected to remain a major legal and political issue in the coming weeks, as the appellate court considers the substantive appeal and determines whether the Federal High Court’s deregistration order can stand. Until then, the affected parties retain their legal status and remain eligible to participate in political activities under Nigeria’s electoral framework.
