Appeal Court Postpones Hearing on Political Party Deregistration Case

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned the hearing regarding the potential deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Accord Party, and three other political parties until July 7, 2026.

The postponement was granted to provide the involved parties sufficient time to file and exchange their legal briefs. During Thursday’s proceedings, legal counsel representing the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the three-member panel, led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed, that the records of the case and the original Federal High Court judgment were only recently obtained and transmitted to the appellate court.

While the legal team requested a shorter window for the exchange of documents, the court determined that July 7 was the earliest viable date due to the official travel schedules of some panel members.

This appeal follows a ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party. The lower court judge had argued that these parties failed to meet the constitutional performance thresholds required to maintain their registration.

However, INEC has opposed this decision, maintaining that these parties met the necessary requirements and have successfully secured elective positions in previous cycles. Furthermore, the Court of Appeal had previously issued a stay of execution on June 16, preventing INEC from carrying out the deregistration while the appeal is being heard. In that ruling, the appellate court criticized the lower court’s decision to proceed with the judgment despite a prior directive to suspend the matter.

The legal challenge was originally brought by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which contended that the parties did not meet the electoral benchmarks established by the 1999 Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act. The case remains a significant point of contention regarding the regulation and survival of political entities within Nigeria’s electoral framework.