Court of Appeal Nullifies Order That Deregistered ADC and Four Other Parties

Five political parties spent weeks facing possible extinction ahead of the 2027 elections, until the Court of Appeal stepped in and put a stop to it.

The Ruling

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja unanimously set aside a June 15 Federal High Court judgment that had directed INEC to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party. The appellate court held that the original order was a nullity, ruling that the trial court wrongly assumed jurisdiction over a suit filed by a body with no legal standing to sue in the first place, what lawyers call a "non-juristic entity."

The Backstory

The case traces back to a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued the five parties failed to meet the constitutional performance requirements under Section 225A, essentially, not winning any elected seats in the last general election. The Federal High Court agreed and ordered INEC to strip their registration, barring them from fielding candidates or being recognised in future elections.

Here Is Where It Gets Interesting

The Court of Appeal had already ordered a stay of proceedings back on May 22, instructing the trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, to pause the case pending an appeal. According to the appellate panel, Justice Lifu knew about that order and delivered judgment anyway. The court did not hold back in its assessment, describing the conduct as "judicial impertinence" and citing Supreme Court precedent that such behaviour amounts to "judicial rascality," language strong enough that it made headlines on its own.

Where Things Stand Now

With the deregistration order nullified, all five parties remain fully recognised and eligible to participate in the 2027 general elections. The court also found that the trial judge failed to properly weigh evidence showing some of the affected parties had actually won seats in previous elections, evidence that, had it been considered, might have changed the outcome entirely.

Why It Matters

Beyond the political drama, this is a clean, real-world example of what happens when a lower court disregards the judicial hierarchy: the appellate system exists precisely to correct that, and it did, decisively.