ABUJA — The Court of Appeal has officially halted a controversial lower court ruling that would have seen five opposition political parties wiped from Nigeria’s electoral register ahead of the 2027 elections.
The appellate court suspended the execution of the Abuja Federal High Court’s judgment, which had directed INEC to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The Disputed High Court Ruling
On Monday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court ordered INEC to strip the five parties of their registration. He anchored the ruling on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, ruling that the parties failed to meet the minimum electoral thresholds — specifically, failing to secure at least 25% of the votes in any state during the last presidential election or win any national or state elective seats.
The suit was originally filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL). The move received the backing of the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who argued that retaining underperforming parties causes ballot congestion and wastes public resources.
Appellate Court Cites “Judicial Rascality”
The deregistration order was short-lived. By Tuesday, the Court of Appeal stepped in to stay the execution, delivering a stinging criticism of the lower court’s handling of the case.
The appellate panel described Justice Lifu’s decision to proceed with the ruling as “the highest form of judicial impertinence” and an act of “judicial rascality.” The justices noted that the trial judge brazenly disregarded an earlier order from the Court of Appeal and ignored the fact that the matter was already pending before the higher court.
With the stay of execution in place, the ADC, Accord Party, APP, AA, and ZLP remain legally recognized political entities in Nigeria while the substantive appeal is heard.
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