Appeal Court Reserves Judgment on ADC Deregistration Case

The Appeal Court in Abuja has reserved its judgment regarding the appeal filed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties against a deregistration order issued by the Federal High Court. The Federal High Court had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the parties, citing their failure to meet constitutional conditions necessary for retaining their registration.

The three-member panel, headed by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, announced the decision on Tuesday, with the date for the judgment delivery to be communicated later. Counsel for the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi SAN, argued that the lower court's judgment lacked legal foundation and that the trial court committed fundamental errors.

The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, supported the plaintiffs' position, asserting that retaining the parties in INEC's register was inconsistent with constitutional provisions. The Appeal Court had previously suspended the execution of the Federal High Court's decision on June 16, pending the determination of the appeal.