Appeal Court Adjourns ADC Deregistration Hearing to July

The Appeal Court in Abuja has adjourned the hearing of a suit challenging the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other political parties to July 7. The adjournment was granted to allow the parties involved to exchange necessary documentation before the substantive hearing, which was initially set for June 25.

Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, representing the Accord Party, informed the three-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed that they required additional time for filing. The court had previously stayed the execution of a judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, including the ADC, on the grounds that they failed to meet constitutional requirements.

The court's decision to stay the judgment was made to prevent INEC from implementing the deregistration order while the appeal is pending.