The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday halted the enforcement of a Federal High Court judgment that had ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (A), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The stay was granted by a three-judge panel led by Justice A.B. Mohammed, which ruled that the lower court's judgment delivered on June 15 violated a prior appellate order dated May 22 that had directed a pause in proceedings. The Appeal Court described the Federal High Court's action as "the highest form of judicial impertinence" for defying the hierarchy of courts. Justice Peter Lifu had ruled the parties failed to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration under Section 225A of the Constitution, a position advanced by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL).
INEC stated it was unaware of the June 15 judgment until it appeared in media reports, with its counsel Haliru Mohammed confirming the commission had not received official notification from the Federal High Court. INEC disclosed it was aware of the May 22 Court of Appeal order and did not oppose the application for a stay. The appellate court's intervention restores the parties' legal status pending determination of the substantive appeal. ADC's counsel, Shuaibu Aruwa (SAN), told the court that Justice Lifu communicated the judgment date to the party via WhatsApp, a method that reportedly drew concern from the appellate judges. Aruwa urged the court to take swift action to protect judicial integrity, stating, "We have come to the stage where this court should press the reset button."
Other affected parties warned that allowing the judgment to stand could create electoral and constitutional complications, particularly with June 20 by-elections scheduled in six states. The Court of Appeal did not issue a final ruling on the appeal but emphasized that the status quo must be maintained until a full hearing. The ruling effectively allows ADC and the four other parties to remain eligible for recognition by INEC and to participate in upcoming electoral processes.
Justice Peter Lifu issued a judgment that affected five political parties while under a Court of Appeal order to withhold it, creating a direct conflict in the judiciary. The parties had to scramble for relief even though the court's own procedures were meant to prevent such chaos. INEC only learned of the judgment from the news, not from official channels, exposing gaps in judicial communication. This undermines public trust in the consistency and transparency of court processes ahead of critical elections.
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