The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned until July 7 the hearing of an appeal challenging the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party.
The appellate court shifted the matter from its earlier date of June 25 to allow parties in the suit sufficient time to file and exchange their briefs of argument ahead of the substantive hearing.
At proceedings on Thursday, counsel to the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the three-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed that the record of appeal and the judgment of the Federal High Court had only been obtained on Monday and subsequently transmitted to the Court of Appeal.
Adetunbi therefore requested a short adjournment to enable all parties file and exchange the necessary court processes.
The application was not opposed by any of the parties involved in the case, prompting the court to grant the request and adjourn the matter to July 7 at 2 p.m.
Although the senior advocate sought a three-day period for parties to exchange briefs, Justice Mohammed explained that some members of the appellate panel would be away from Abuja next week on official assignments, making July 7 the earliest available date for hearing.
The appeal arose from a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, namely the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Justice Lifu had ruled that the affected parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements necessary to maintain their registration and participate in future elections.
However, INEC opposed the deregistration order, arguing that the parties had met the constitutional threshold for continued registration and had recorded electoral victories in previous elections.
To support its position, the electoral commission tendered certificates of return issued to candidates elected on the platforms of the affected political parties.
In a related development, the Court of Appeal had on June 16 granted a stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment, effectively preventing INEC from enforcing the deregistration order pending the determination of the appeal.
In its unanimous ruling, the appellate court faulted Justice Lifu for delivering judgment despite an earlier order directing him to suspend proceedings in the matter.
The court described the action as contrary to the established hierarchy of courts and subsequently restrained the implementation of the judgment until the appeal is resolved.
The suit was originally filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which contended that the affected political parties failed to meet the electoral performance benchmarks prescribed under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the group, the parties failed to achieve the required electoral performance during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections and therefore should no longer retain their registration.
INEC, however, maintained that the parties remain legally qualified to operate, citing electoral victories recorded by their candidates in various elections across the country.
The outcome of the appeal is expected to have significant implications for the future of the affected political parties and the broader political landscape ahead of future electoral contests.