The Court of Appeal in Abuja Tuesday overturned the judgement of the Federal High Court ordering INEC to deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and four other political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had, on June 15, 2026, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister five political parties for failing to meet constitutional performance thresholds.
The other parties affected by the deregistration order of the Federal High Court are Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The appellate court declared the judgment that ordered INEC to deregister the parties “null and void”.
The court, while describing the judgment as “a nullity”, held that “what the learned trial court did amounted to judicial impertinence or what the Supreme Court called judicial insubordination.”
The three-man panel of the appellate court presided over by Justice Abba Mohammed, in a unanimous decision, held that the trial court had no jurisdiction to hear the case in the first instance.
The appellate court noted that the trial court was wrong to have proceeded with the delivery of the judgment despite the order of the Court of Appeal directing a stay of proceedings, which included the delivery of the judgment.
It also noted that the 1st Respondent had no locus standi to institute the action in the first place, thereby setting aside the judgment of the trial court.
The appellate court found that the trial court lacked jurisdiction because the suit was brought forward by an incompetent, non-juristic entity.
The original suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026) was filed at the Federal High Court by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL).
The forum of former legislators is led by Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, who represented the Ahiazu Ezinihite Federal Constituency from 2015 to 2019 as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He later defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and contested for the same position in 2019 and 2023, but lost in both elections to Hon. Martins Emeka Chinedu, who contested as PDP candidate.
Hon. Igbokwe is again the candidate of the APC for the Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency.
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