Appeal Court defers hearing on deregistration of ADC, four others till July 14

. As INEC’s Self Service Voter registration starts today

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, deferred the full-blown hearing of substantive appeals seeking to set aside the judgment that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties until July 14.

The adjournment followed the failure of some of the parties to file and exchange the necessary processes in time.

Some of the respondents drew the attention of the court to processes they said were served on them before the commencement of the proceedings and requested time to file their responses.

Consequently, the Justice Abba Mohammed-led three-member panel shifted the scheduled hearing to enable all the parties to regularise their processes.

The panel had, on June 25, okayed the hearing of the appeals after housekeeping proceedings that enabled the parties in the matter to identify some of the processes they had filed.

Aside from the ADC, the other parties seeking nullification of the Federal High Court judgment are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

It will be recalled that the appellate court had, on June 16, ordered a stay of execution of the High Court judgment, even as it slammed the trial judge for disregarding the judicial hierarchy.

The panel berated Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for disobeying an order it had made on May 22, which directed him to stay proceedings in the case pending the outcome of an appeal by the parties.

According to the appellate court, even though the trial judge’s attention had been drawn to the order for a stay of proceedings, he intentionally flouted it and went ahead to deliver the judgment.

It held that Justice Lifu’s action was “a form of judicial impertinence,” stressing that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acts in such a manner “is unfit for the bench, as the conduct amounts to judicial rascality.”

The High Court had directed INEC to deregister the five political parties, which it said had failed to meet the constitutional requirements needed to warrant their continued existence and participation in future elections.

It also barred INEC from further according recognition to the parties, accepting nominations of candidates from the affected parties, or giving effect to their activities for the purposes of participating in the 2027 general elections.

Justice Lifu ordered the defendants to stop parading themselves as registered political parties in the country, saying he found merit in the suit filed against them by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL).

The NFFL had, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, asked the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to remove political parties that fail to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations.

It was the plaintiffs’ position that the five political parties listed as defendants had persistently failed to meet the constitutional benchmarks required to retain their registration.

The former legislators stressed that the requirements include winning at least 25 per cent of the votes in a state during a presidential election, or securing at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.

They told the court that the ADC and the four other parties had performed poorly in both the 2023 general elections and the by-elections conducted by INEC, thereby failing to win seats across key tiers of government.

The litigants insisted that the continued existence of the ADC and the other defendants as recognised political parties is unlawful and undermines the integrity of the country’s electoral system.

Notably, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who is also a defendant in the matter, threw his weight behind the plaintiffs.

In processes filed before the court, the AGF argued that the continued existence of the said political parties violates extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and ultimately undermines the nation’s electoral integrity.

The AGF argued that unless the court intervened, INEC would continue to act in breach of its constitutional duty by retaining parties that have failed to meet the minimum requirements prescribed by law.

However, dissatisfied with the trial court’s verdict, all the defendants, including INEC, have urged the appellate court to set it aside.

. As INEC’s Self Service Voter registration starts today

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has introduced a self-service online voter registration platform for eligible first-time voters as part of efforts to improve accessibility, service delivery and citizens’ participation in the electoral process.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Nasarawa State, Mallam Mohammed Abubakar-Sadiq, disclosed this at a news briefing on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.

Abubakar-Sadiq said the platform would become operational on Wednesday, July 8, through the Commission’s Continuous Voter Registration portal, where eligible citizens could access step-by-step registration guidelines.

He said the platform would enable first-time voters to initiate and complete their voter registration process, including biometric capture, using their personal devices without physically visiting any INEC office.

According to him, the platform incorporates robust identity verification, biometric validation and backend integrity checks to safeguard the credibility, integrity and accuracy of the National Register of Voters.

The REC said the initiative was in line with the Commission’s commitment to innovation, accessibility and improved service delivery.

He, however, said eligible voters who had begun the physical registration process, were transferring their voting points or replacing stolen or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) should visit INEC registration centres.

He also announced that the Commission had approved a two-week extension of the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

Abubakar-Sadiq said the third and final phase of the exercise, initially scheduled to end on July 10, would now close on July 26.

He said the extension followed a review of the nationwide exercise and feedback from INEC state offices, political parties, civil society organisations and other critical stakeholders.

“The extension is to provide an additional opportunity for eligible Nigerians who are yet to register as voters to do so ahead of future electoral activities.

“It underscores the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible Nigerian has a fair and reasonable opportunity to be included in the National Register of Voters,” he said.

The REC recalled that the nationwide CVR exercise commenced on Aug. 18, 2025, adding that the first and second phases recorded a significant number of registrants across Nasarawa State, including persons living with disabilities (PLWDs).

He urged eligible residents of the state who had yet to register to take advantage of both the extension and the newly introduced technology-driven registration platform.

Abubakar-Sadiq reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting a credible, inclusive, transparent and accessible voter registration process through the deployment of technology to improve citizens’ experience.

He also appreciated the media, political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies and other stakeholders for their continued support in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

For a better society

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