By Emmanuel Onyedika
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has postponed the hearing of an appeal challenging the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party, until July 7, 2026.
The case, initially scheduled for June 25, was adjourned to allow all parties sufficient time to file and exchange legal arguments ahead of the substantive hearing.
During Thursday’s proceedings, counsel to the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the three-member panel that the records of appeal and the Federal High Court judgment were only transmitted earlier this week. He requested a brief adjournment to enable parties to prepare and exchange briefs. No party opposed the request, and the panel led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed fixed July 7 at 2:00 p.m. for hearing.
The appeal stems from a Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Peter Odo Lifu, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for failing to meet constitutional requirements. The ruling barred INEC from recognising the parties or allowing them to participate in preparations for the 2027 general elections.
However, INEC challenged the judgment, insisting the parties had met constitutional conditions and presented evidence of elected candidates under their platforms. On June 16, 2026, the Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution, preventing INEC from implementing the deregistration pending appeal.
The appellate court noted that Justice Lifu delivered his ruling despite an earlier directive to suspend proceedings, describing the action as a violation of judicial hierarchy.
The suit was instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the parties failed to achieve electoral performance benchmarks outlined in Section 225A of the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC regulations. INEC countered that the parties had won elective positions at different levels of government, making them eligible to retain registration.