The Court of Appeal in Abuja has fixed July 7 for the hearing of an appeal challenging the proposed deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party and three other political parties.
The matter, which was initially scheduled for June 25, was postponed to allow all parties involved to file and exchange their legal briefs before the substantive hearing begins.
At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel for the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, told the three member panel headed by Justice Abubakar Mohammed that the record of appeal and the judgment of the Federal High Court were only made available on Monday and had already been transmitted to the appellate court.
Adetunbi therefore requested a brief adjournment to give all parties enough time to prepare and exchange the necessary court documents. The request was not opposed by any of the parties in the case.
Although the senior lawyer asked for only three days, Justice Mohammed explained that some members of the panel would be away on official duties next week. As a result, the court fixed July 7 as the earliest available date to continue the hearing.
The appeal followed a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the African Democratic Congress, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.
Justice Lifu ruled that the affected political parties failed to meet the constitutional conditions required to maintain their registration and remain eligible to participate in future elections.
INEC, however, disagreed with the ruling and argued that the parties had fulfilled the constitutional requirements. The electoral commission maintained that the affected parties had won elective positions in previous elections and therefore remained qualified to retain their registration.
To support its position, INEC presented certificates of return issued to candidates who secured electoral victories on the platforms of the political parties involved.
Earlier, on June 16, the Court of Appeal granted a stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment, preventing INEC from enforcing the deregistration until the appeal is fully determined.
In its unanimous decision, the appellate court criticized Justice Lifu for delivering judgment despite an earlier directive instructing him to suspend proceedings in the matter. The court described the action as inconsistent with the established hierarchy of courts.
The legal action was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the affected political parties failed to meet the electoral performance requirements outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the group, the parties did not achieve the constitutional benchmark during the 2023 general election and subsequent by elections, making them liable for deregistration.
INEC has maintained its position throughout the dispute, insisting that the political parties remain legally registered because their candidates won elections conducted in different parts of the country.
