The Court of Appeal in Abuja has officially adjourned the hearing of an appeal challenging the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and three other political parties until July 7.
The appellate court shifted the matter from June 25 to allow all parties involved to file and exchange their briefs of argument before the substantive hearing begins.
During Thursday’s proceedings, counsel for the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), notified the three-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed that the record of appeal and the Federal High Court judgment were only obtained on Monday.
Justice Mohammed explained that while the defense requested a shorter timeframe, the court had to push the date to July 7 because some panel members will be out of Abuja next week for official duties.
The legal battle stems from a judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register the ADC, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
Justice Lifu argued that these parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements needed to retain their registration.
In contrast, INEC has consistently opposed the de-registration.
The electoral body maintains that the affected parties met the constitutional threshold and have won various elective positions in previous elections, supporting their claim with certificates of return issued to party candidates.
The Court of Appeal previously ordered a stay of execution on June 16, preventing INEC from enforcing the de-registration until the appeal is determined.
In a unanimous ruling, the appellate court criticized Justice Lifu for delivering his judgment despite an earlier order directing him to suspend proceedings, describing his action as a violation of the hierarchy of courts.
The initial suit was brought by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which contended that the parties failed to meet electoral performance benchmarks stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.
They argued that the parties failed to secure the required electoral performance in the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections.
INEC continues to maintain that the parties remain qualified, citing verified electoral victories across the country.
