Court Verdict Supports Action Alliance and Other Parties

Aare Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), praised the Court of Appeal's judgment that nullified a Federal High Court order for the deregistration of AA and four other political parties: African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The Court of Appeal, in Abuja, ruled on Tuesday that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over the matter and described its earlier judgment as a nullity.

The appellate court criticized the lower court for proceeding with the case despite a stay of proceedings and determined that the plaintiff did not have legal standing, rendering the case incompetent. Omoaje stated that the ruling protected the voices of millions of Nigerians who support smaller parties and allowed AA to remain on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) register, enabling continued grassroots mobilization ahead of future elections.

Barrister Peter Abang, representing APP, echoed Omoaje's sentiments, emphasizing the importance of respecting the court hierarchy.