INEC Reacts as Court Orders Deregistration of ADC Ahead of 2027 Election
- INEC sought to stay the judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties ahead of the 2027 elections
- The federal high court's decision surprised the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) due to a prior restraining order
- INEC claimed a lack of notification about the deregistration judgment before the announcement by several media outlets
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, June 16, asked the court of appeal in Abuja to stay the execution of the judgment that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
Legit.ng recalls that the federal high court in Abuja on Monday, June 15, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties over their failure to achieve the required electoral performance in the 2023 elections and subsequent by-elections conducted by the commission.
Source: Twitter
INEC moves to halt ADC deregistration
The other political parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
In its reaction, the Commission also threw its weight behind a notice of appeal lodged by the political parties.
Addressing a three-member panel of the appellate court on Tuesday, June 16, INEC expressed surprise at the decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the federal high court in Abuja to deliver the judgment despite a subsisting order restraining him from doing so, Vanguard noted.
The Cable also reported that INEC has taken steps to halt the enforcement of the judgment ordering the deregistration of the political parties.
INEC complains, seeks judgment stay
The electoral agency, through its team of lawyers led by Haliru Mohammed, decried not being notified of the judgment, saying it only heard about the court’s decision through media reports.
INEC said:
“My Lords, we are aware of an order that this court made on May 22, which stopped the delivery of the judgment of the lower court, which was initially reserved for delivery on June 5.
“We were not aware of any notice from the court regarding the delivery of the judgment. We only saw it as breaking news in the media.
“We therefore do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgment.”
Source: Facebook
Read more on ADC:
- 2027 election: ADC responds to rumours INEC refused to recognise David Mark's new leadership
- 2027 election: Did Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua dump APC for ADC? Lawmaker speaks out
- 2027 election: ADC speaks as Rabiu Kwankwaso reportedly considers joining party
ADC rejects deregistration order
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the ADC strongly opposed a federal high court ruling directing INEC to deregister the party and four others, describing the judgment as an attempt to use the judiciary to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a statement, ADC national spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, condemned the ruling as unconstitutional and deeply troubling.
According to the ADC, the decision runs contrary to established legal precedents and even conflicts with positions previously advanced by INEC on the issue of political party deregistration.
Source: Legit.ng
