Appeal Court to Rule on ADC and Four Parties' Deregistration

The Appeal Court in Abuja is preparing to deliver a judgment concerning the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties, including Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). This case follows a ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister these parties for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements necessary for continued registration.

The plaintiffs argued that these parties did not secure the minimum electoral performance required under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act of 2022. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, supported the suit, arguing that allowing the parties to remain registered despite failing to meet the requirements would breach the law.

The Appeal Court had previously issued an order on June 16 to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgment, criticizing Justice Lifu for proceeding with the judgment despite this order.