Appeal Court Voids Judgment Directing INEC to Deregister ADC, Four Other Political Parties

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Court of Appeal, Abuja has nullified the judgment of a Federal High Court, that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and four other political parties.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered on Tuesday, held that the trial court was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction in the suit filed by a non-juristic person.

Recall that Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court in Abuja, had on June 15, ordered INEC to deregister the five political parties because they failed to comply with the provision of Section 225A of the Nigerian Constitution.

Dissatisfied, the political parties which includes; ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), had approached the appellate court to upturn the judgment of the trial court.

They had among others argued that Justice Lifu erred in law when he entertained the suit filed by the trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL).

According to the appellants, the NFFL lacked the necessary legal authority (locus standi) to bring the suit before the court in the first place.

They therefore urged the court to allow their appeal and reverse the order of the Federal High Court on INEC to deregister them.

Delivering judgment in the five appeals on Tuesday, the three-member panel in a unanimous judgment, agreed with the appellants, and declared as “null and void”, the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on June 15, 2026.

On the issue of locus, the appellate court held that since the plaintiff/ respondent lacked the legal authority to file the suit, the trial court was wrong to have assumed, adding that the orders made against the electoral umpire were incompetent and amounts to a nullity.

The appellate court also pointed out that contrary to the findings of the trial court, “The evidence before the court clearly shows a compliance with Section 225A of the Constitution”.

On the refusal of the trial court to obey the ruling of the appellate court directing a stay of proceedings, the panel stated that “what the learned trial court did amount to judicial impertinence or what the Supreme Court called judicial insubordination.”

Justice Abba Mohammed who delivered the lead judgment subsequently held that all the affected political parties remained duly registered.

The appellate court also awarded cost of N1 million against the NFFL, which had filed the case against the five political parties.

Details later.