The Court of Appeal in Abuja has postponed the hearing of an appeal challenging the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party, until July 7.

The adjournment was granted on Thursday to allow all parties involved sufficient time to file and exchange their briefs of argument before the substantive hearing of the appeal.

The case, initially scheduled for June 25, was delayed after counsel to the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the appellate panel that the record of appeal and the certified judgment of the Federal High Court had only been obtained on Monday. According to him, the documents had since been transmitted to the Court of Appeal, making additional time necessary for proper preparation.

Although Adetunbi requested a three-day adjournment, the three-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Mohammed explained that some members of the court would be engaged in official assignments next week. Consequently, the court fixed July 7 as the earliest available date for the hearing.

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The appeal stems from a ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties. The affected parties include the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Justice Lifu ruled that the political parties failed to satisfy constitutional requirements necessary to maintain their registration and continue participating in future elections.

However, INEC disagreed with the decision, arguing that the affected parties had met the constitutional requirements for registration. The commission maintained that several candidates elected on the platforms of the parties currently occupy elective offices, presenting certificates of return issued to those candidates as evidence before the court.

The legal dispute originated from a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the affected political parties failed to meet the electoral performance benchmark stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

According to the group, the parties did not secure the required level of electoral success during the 2023 general election and subsequent by-elections, making them liable for deregistration.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal had earlier intervened in the matter on June 16 by ordering a stay of execution of the Federal High Court’s judgment. The appellate court restrained INEC from implementing the deregistration pending the final determination of the appeal.

In its unanimous ruling, the appellate court also criticised Justice Lifu for delivering the judgment despite an earlier directive requiring him to suspend proceedings in the case. The panel described the action as inconsistent with the hierarchy of courts.

The outcome of the appeal is expected to determine whether the affected political parties will retain their legal status ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.