The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned until July 7 the hearing of an appeal challenging the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, and three other political parties. The appellate court shifted the matter to enable the parties in the suit to file and exchange their briefs of argument ahead of the formal hearing. At Thursday’s proceedings, the counsel for the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the three-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed that the record of appeal and the judgment of the Federal High Court were only obtained on Monday and had since been transmitted to the appellate court.
The senior advocate also sought a short adjournment to allow the parties to file and exchange their legal processes. The application was not opposed by the other parties in the suit, prompting the court to adjourn the matter until July 7. Although Adetunbi requested three days to file and exchange the briefs, Justice Mohammed explained that some members of the panel would be out of Abuja next week for official engagements, making July 7 the earliest convenient date for the parties.
The appeal stems from a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party. Justice Lifu held that the political parties failed to satisfy the constitutional requirements necessary to retain their registration and participate in future elections.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission opposed the deregistration, maintaining that the affected parties met the constitutional threshold and had won elective positions in previous elections. The electoral body also tendered certificates of return issued to candidates elected on the platforms of the political parties.
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