The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Accord Party from participating in the 2027 general elections. Justice Peter Odo Lifu delivered the ruling on Monday, citing alleged breaches of constitutional provisions on party formation and operation. In response, Paul Ibe, media aide to ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, dismissed the judgment as "judicial rascality" and accused the ruling party of orchestrating a move to establish a de facto one-party state. Ibe stated that the ADC's legal team has already filed an appeal and secured a stay-of-action order from the Court of Appeal, which he claims invalidates the High Court's decision. He argued that Justice Lifu's ruling directly contradicts the appellate court's existing order to halt any proceedings on the matter. The ADC maintains that the judgment has no legal effect due to the pending appeal and the active stay order. Ibe further alleged that the timing and nature of the ruling suggest political interference aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections. The party says it will continue to challenge the decision through all available legal channels. INEC has not issued a public statement on whether it will comply with the ruling pending the appeal. The next legal action is expected to take place at the Court of Appeal, where the ADC's case will be heard in full.

💡 NaijaBuzz Take

The ADC's claim that a higher court has already issued a stay order makes Justice Lifu's ruling appear legally incongruent, raising questions about judicial coordination. If the Court of Appeal's intervention was active at the time of the judgment, then the Federal High Court's decision risks being a nullity. This creates confusion over which court's order INEC should follow, potentially undermining the electoral process. Legal clarity must prevail to prevent arbitrary enforcement of conflicting rulings.

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