Appeal Court Halts Deregistration of Political Parties

The Appeal Court has temporarily suspended a Federal High Court order issued by Justice Peter Lifu, which mandated the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The three-member panel of the Appeal Court ruled unanimously, stating that the trial court delivered its judgment without jurisdiction.

This ruling affects the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar of the ADC for the 2027 general elections and the governorship candidacy of Ademola Adeleke in Osun State. The court's decision follows an earlier order on May 22 that halted the delivery of the lower court's judgment.

The panel criticized Justice Lifu for disregarding the Appeal Court's directive and noted that the trial court's actions were an affront to the judicial hierarchy. Political figures, including David Mark and Adewol Adebayo, condemned the deregistration order as a threat to democracy.