The Court of Appeal has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court that upheld the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), restoring their legal status.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Tuesday, the appellate court held that the trial court erred in affirming the deregistration of the affected political parties, ruling that INEC lacked the constitutional authority to deregister them under the circumstances surrounding the case.
The court consequently nullified the earlier decision of the Federal High Court and restored the registration of the ADC and the four other political parties affected by the deregistration exercise.
The judgment is regarded as a major legal victory for the opposition parties and is expected to influence future interpretations of the constitutional powers of INEC regarding the registration and deregistration of political parties.
The ruling also comes at a time of increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with analysts saying it could broaden the country’s democratic space by preserving the participation of more political parties in the electoral process.
Although the Court of Appeal restored the parties’ legal status, details of the identities of the four other affected political parties and the full reasoning behind the judgment were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.
More details are expected as the certified true copy of the judgment becomes available.