The Court of Appeal in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Liberation People's Party (LPP) and issue its certificate of registration within 30 days. The decision, delivered on Tuesday, overturned a previous ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had dismissed the LPP's application for registration. A three-member panel of justices—Banjoko, Abang, and Oyewunmi—ruled unanimously that the LPP was deemed duly registered under Section 75(4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, effective from December 2025, 60 days after the party submitted its application. The court also awarded N5 million in damages against INEC, along with N500,000 as litigation costs.
The appeal stemmed from the LPP's challenge of Justice B.F.M. Nyako's earlier judgment. The party had been one of 14 political associations prequalified by INEC out of 171 applicants seeking registration in 2025. After paying a mandatory N2 million administrative fee, the LPP received an access code valid for 30 days to upload required documents on INEC's online portal. The party alleged that INEC blocked its access before the deadline, preventing completion of the registration process.
The appellate court held that the facts of the case warranted the LPP's recognition as a duly registered political party under the Electoral Act. In response, Barrister John Nwobodo, lead counsel for the LPP, called the judgment a triumph for democracy, justice, and the rule of law. He thanked the justices for upholding the judiciary's role as the last hope of the common man. Nwobodo said the party remains committed to democratic values, inclusiveness, and broader political participation.
INEC allowed 14 parties to pay fees and begin registration, then blocked one from completing the process. The LPP paid N2 million and met the initial requirements, yet still needed a court order to claim what the law says it already had. If access codes can be revoked mid-process, no aspiring party is truly safe from administrative sabotage. Nigerians deserve a system where compliance, not litigation, guarantees registration.
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