The Court of Appeal has ordered a stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, offering a temporary reprieve to the affected parties and their candidates.
The appellate court’s decision effectively suspends the implementation of the lower court’s ruling pending the determination of appeals filed in the matter.
The development comes barely 24 hours after Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) over their alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.
The Federal High Court had held that the affected parties failed to satisfy the electoral performance benchmarks stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which outlines the conditions political parties must meet to retain their legal status.
However, with the Court of Appeal’s latest intervention, the execution of that judgment has been temporarily suspended, allowing the affected parties to continue operating while the legal battle moves to the next stage.
Sources familiar with the proceedings disclosed that INEC sought judicial protection against the immediate enforcement of the Federal High Court judgment, citing existing legal issues surrounding the matter and the need to preserve the status quo pending the outcome of ongoing appeals.
The ruling is expected to have significant political implications, particularly for politicians seeking elective offices on the platforms of the affected parties.
Among those likely to benefit from the appellate court’s decision are Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election under the Accord Party in the August 15, 2026 governorship election, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is widely associated with the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
The original suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that the five parties had consistently failed to meet the constitutional thresholds required for political parties to remain registered.
The Court of Appeal’s decision is likely to ease immediate concerns among members and supporters of the affected parties, many of whom had expressed fears over the potential consequences of the Federal High Court judgment.
Political analysts say the latest ruling preserves the existing political order for now and ensures that the affected parties remain legally recognised until the appellate courts make a final determination on the matter.
With the stay of execution now in place, attention is expected to shift to the substantive appeals, which will ultimately determine whether the parties retain their registration or face deregistration in the future.
For now, the judgment has added another twist to Nigeria’s evolving political landscape, with the fate of the five parties and the ambitions of candidates contesting under their platforms remaining firmly in the hands of the judiciary.
