The legal battle over the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), suffered a slight delay on Thursday as the Court of Appeal in Abuja adjourned hearing in the matter until July 7, 2026.
The appellate court shifted the hearing after lawyers involved in the case requested additional time to file and exchange their briefs of argument following the recent transmission of the record of proceedings and judgment from the Federal High Court.
At the resumed sitting, counsel to the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the three-member panel that certified records of the lower court’s proceedings were only made available and transmitted to the Court of Appeal earlier this week. He subsequently sought a short adjournment to enable parties properly prepare for the substantive hearing.
The request was not opposed by other parties, prompting the panel, led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed, to fix July 7 for hearing of the appeal.
The case stems from a controversial judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The decision sparked widespread legal and political debate, particularly after INEC opposed the suit and presented evidence that the affected parties had won elective positions in previous elections, thereby satisfying constitutional conditions for retaining their registration.
In a significant twist, the Court of Appeal had earlier intervened on June 16, suspending execution of the Federal High Court judgment. The appellate court ruled that Justice Lifu proceeded with the case despite an earlier directive ordering him to halt proceedings pending the determination of an appeal.
The appellate court described the lower court’s action as a serious violation of judicial hierarchy, warning that courts must respect orders issued by superior courts.
The dispute originated from a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet electoral performance benchmarks outlined in Section 225A of the Constitution and should therefore be deregistered.
The former lawmakers maintained that the parties failed to secure the minimum electoral thresholds required by law in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections. However, INEC insisted that records showed the parties won seats at various levels of government and therefore remained eligible to operate as registered political parties.
With the appeal now set for substantive hearing on July 7, the outcome is expected to have major implications for the political parties involved and their participation in activities leading to the 2027 general elections.