By Peter Effiom
A Federal High Court ruling ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five opposition political parties was stayed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
On Tuesday, June 16, a three-person panel of the Appeal Court unanimously overturned Justice Peter Lifu’s Federal High Court order. The appellate court deemed the lower court’s ruling to be a violation of judicial hierarchy.
On May 22, 2026, the Court of Appeal had already issued an order to halt further proceedings in the case while the Accord Party filed an interlocutory appeal.
Accord Party’s attorney informed the appellate court that the trial judge rendered the decision in spite of being aware of the Court of Appeal’s May 22 order to halt the case.
The Federal High Court’s Justice Peter Lifu acted unlawfully, according to the appellate court, by delivering his final ruling on Monday even though he was aware of the higher court’s current freeze on the case.
The following five political parties’ registered status is safeguarded by the appellate court’s involvement. These include the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Accord Party, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The impacted parties contended that their ability to participate in the legislative by-elections and the Ekiti State governorship election would be compromised if the deregistration was enforced.
The National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) Incorporated Trustees filed the first lawsuit. Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution requires parties to earn a certain performance percentage or gain at least one legislative seat to remain registered. According to the group, the five political parties did not meet these requirements.
Due to the Court of Appeal’s most recent intervention, the deregistration order’s implementation is still on hold until the substantive appeal is heard. All pending applications will now be considered on June 25.
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