Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned until July 7, 2026, the hearing of an appeal challenging the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and three other political parties. The adjournment, which came on Thursday, June 25, 2026, was granted to allow the parties involved to file and exchange their briefs of argument ahead of the substantive hearing.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed, shifted the matter from its originally scheduled date after counsel for the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the court that the record of appeal and the judgment of the Federal High Court were only obtained on Monday and had since been transmitted to the appellate court. Adetunbi subsequently sought a short adjournment, a request that was not opposed by other parties in the suit. Although the senior advocate requested three days to file and exchange briefs, Justice Mohammed explained that some members of the panel would be out of Abuja next week for official engagements, making July 7 the earliest convenient date. The court subsequently adjourned the matter until 2 p.m. on July 7.
The appeal stems from a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). Justice Lifu held that the parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements necessary to retain their registration and participate in future elections. The suit was instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet the electoral performance benchmarks stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022. The NFFL contended that the parties failed to secure the constitutionally required electoral performance in the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections, and therefore ought to be deregistered.
In a dramatic turn, the Court of Appeal on June 16, 2026, ordered a stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment, preventing INEC from enforcing the deregistration pending the determination of the appeal. In a unanimous ruling, the appellate court strongly criticised Justice Lifu for delivering the judgment despite an earlier order directing him to suspend proceedings in the matter. The panel held that Justice Lifu's action was "a form of judicial impertinence", stressing that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner "is unfit for the bench, as the conduct amounts to judicial rascality". The court expressed strong disapproval, describing the trial court's action as a "brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution".
During the proceedings that led to the stay of execution, INEC informed the court that it was surprised by the delivery of the Federal High Court judgment and only became aware of it through media reports. Representing the electoral commission, Mr. Haliru Mohammed told the court that INEC had knowledge of the Court of Appeal's earlier directive restraining the lower court from taking further steps in the matter and therefore did not oppose the application seeking a stay of execution. "We were not aware of any notice from the court regarding the delivery of the judgment. We only saw it as breaking news in the media. We therefore do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgment," Mohammed submitted. INEC also indicated support for the appeals lodged by the affected political parties.
Counsel to the ADC, Mr. Shuaibu Aruwa (SAN), further informed the court that notice of the judgment had allegedly been communicated to his client through WhatsApp. Arguing that the conduct of the trial court threatened judicial order, Aruwa urged the appellate court to take decisive action. "The action of the trial judge calls for swift and extraordinary measures from this court. We have come to the stage where this court should press the reset button," Aruwa submitted. Lawyers representing the other affected parties also warned that implementation of the deregistration order could create significant electoral complications, particularly with by-elections scheduled to take place in six states on June 20.
The controversy has drawn significant attention, with former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar welcoming the Court of Appeal's decision to halt the execution of the judgment. The adjournment of the hearing until July 7 means the fate of the five political parties, which have been fighting to retain their registration status, will remain uncertain for at least another two weeks. As the legal battle continues, the appellate court has made it clear that it will not tolerate what it views as judicial overreach, while the affected parties and INEC prepare for the substantive hearing of the appeals on the new date.
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