Political Earthquake: Court Battles Erupt Over Deregistration of Major Parties!

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken a significant step by approaching the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking a stay of execution against a Federal High Court judgment that mandated the deregistration of five political parties. The affected parties include the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The controversy stems from a ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who ordered the deregistration based on the parties' alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for retaining their registration and participating in future elections. The suit, initiated by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), contended that these parties had consistently failed to achieve electoral performance thresholds outlined in Section 225A of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, particularly their inability to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during presidential elections or win elective positions at various governmental levels. The NFFL argued that their continued registration undermined the integrity of Nigeria's electoral system due to poor performance in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections.

INEC, through its legal team led by Mr. Haliru Mohammed, expressed profound shock to the appellate court that Justice Lifu delivered the judgment despite an existing order from the Court of Appeal on May 22, which had specifically halted the ruling, initially reserved for June 5. The electoral body further asserted that it was not formally notified of the judgment delivery, only becoming aware of the decision through media reports. INEC's stance was clear: it did not oppose the application by the appellant parties to stay the execution of the judgment, thereby throwing its weight behind the affected parties.

Adding to the legal complexities, the counsel to the ADC, Shuaibu Aruwa (SAN), informed the Court of Appeal that Justice Lifu had notified the party of the judgment via WhatsApp. Aruwa accused the trial judge of disregarding the authority of the Court of Appeal and insisted that the appellate court should take swift disciplinary action against such an affront. Lawyers representing the deregistered parties also highlighted the potential for significant confusion regarding upcoming by-elections scheduled for June 20, should the judgment remain in force. They emphasized the supervisory powers of the Court of Appeal to ensure adherence to higher court orders by lower courts.

In a crucial development, the Court of Appeal on Tuesday granted a stay of execution on the Federal High Court judgment, temporarily preserving the registration status of the five political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. This intervention was welcomed by the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who lauded the appellate court's decision, particularly noting that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay. Abubakar also criticized what he termed