The Federal High Court in Abuja has indefinitely adjourned proceedings in the case seeking the deregistration of several political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and Action Alliance (AA).
Justice Peter Lifu had scheduled Friday to deliver judgment in the suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. However, the hearing was stalled after the Accord Party obtained a stay of proceedings from the Court of Appeal on May 29.
At the opening of the session, the court registrar notified parties that the judgment had been postponed and that a new date would be announced later.
Reacting to the development, Mr. Raphael Igbokwe, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, expressed disappointment over the appellate court’s decision. He said the forum has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the stay of proceedings.
“We are concerned that a matter that had reached the stage of judgment is now delayed through a stay of proceedings,” Igbokwe said. “In practical terms, it amounts to an arrest of judgment. Nevertheless, we remain committed to pursuing all lawful avenues to ensure that the issues raised in this case are resolved in the interest of strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and advancing constitutional and electoral jurisprudence.”
The forum argued that the affected political parties failed to meet constitutional requirements concerning electoral performance. According to the suit, parties must secure at least 25 percent of votes in prescribed elections to remain relevant under Nigerian law.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first defendant. Other defendants include ADC, AA, Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party, Zenith Labour Party, among others.
The plaintiffs urged the court to deregister the parties, asserting that none had sufficiently addressed the legal arguments presented.
