The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to stay execution of a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
The electoral body also backed the parties’ appeal against the ruling, while expressing dismay that Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment despite a subsisting stay order issued by the appellate court on 22 May.
Addressing a three‑member panel on Tuesday, INEC’s lead counsel, Haliru Mohammed, said the commission was neither notified of the delivery date nor served with any notice, learning of the decision only through media reports. He consequently declined to oppose the applicants’ request for a stay.
Counsel for the ADC, Shuaibu Aruwa, SAN, went further, urging the appellate court to invoke its disciplinary powers under Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution and sanction Justice Lifu for what he termed a “dare” to the judicial hierarchy. He described the lower court’s action as “an invitation to anarchy” and called for immediate suspension of the judgment to protect the integrity of the judiciary.
Other affected parties drew the court’s attention to the impending by‑elections scheduled for 20 June across six states, arguing that enforcing the deregistration order without a stay would provoke widespread electoral disruption.
The high court had directed INEC to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party for failing to meet the constitutional performance thresholds—including winning at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election or securing any elective seat at national, state, or local government level.
The ruling came in a suit brought by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which contended that the five parties’ poor showing in the 2023 general elections and subsequent by‑elections rendered their continued registration unlawful and damaging to the electoral system.
The Court of Appeal continues hearing submissions from all parties.