Appeal Court Voids Order Deregistering ADC, Accord And Three Other Parties

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside a Federal High Court order that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party and three other political parties.

A three-member appellate panel held on Tuesday that the lower court had acted on an incompetent suit and wrongly assumed jurisdiction before issuing the deregistration order.

The ruling centred on a case filed by the Forum of Former Legislators. Daily Post reported that the appellate court held the group had no legal standing to bring the suit, while Vanguard reported that the panel also faulted the lower court for ignoring evidence that the affected parties had won seats in previous elections.

The Court of Appeal voided and set aside the Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Peter Odo Lifu. Daily Post reported that the panel, led by Justice Abba Bello, awarded N1 million against the former legislators who filed the case.

The ruling is the latest turn in the parties’ deregistration dispute. NaijaTrend earlier reported the lower-court stage of the case here.

Sources: Vanguard, Daily Post