Five Nigerian political parties facing potential deregistration will have their appeals heard on July 7, 2026, after the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja adjourned the matter on Thursday following routine housekeeping proceedings that allowed all parties to identify and regularise their filed processes.
The three-member appellate panel, led by Justice Abba Mohammed, confirmed that all appeals would be heard on the new date.
The parties fighting to survive are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Their legal battle stems from a Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja, which ordered INEC to deregister all five parties for failing to meet the constitutional performance benchmarks required to retain registration.
That judgment also barred INEC from accepting candidate nominations from the affected parties or giving effect to their activities for the purpose of the 2027 general elections.
Trial Judge Rebuked for Defying the Appellate Court
Before reaching the merits of the case, the Court of Appeal had already fired a sharp rebuke at Justice Lifu.
On June 16, 2026, the appellate panel ordered a stay of execution of the high court judgment — and simultaneously condemned the trial judge for delivering that judgment in the first place, in direct violation of an earlier stay of proceedings order.
The appellate court had issued that stay order on May 22, 2026, directing Justice Lifu to halt proceedings pending the outcome of the parties’ appeals. The panel found that despite being made aware of the order, the trial judge intentionally proceeded to deliver judgment.
The appellate court did not mince words, describing Justice Lifu’s conduct as “a form of judicial impertinence” and recalling that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has previously held that a judge who acts in such a manner “is unfit for the bench, as the conduct amounts to judicial rascality.”
What the Case Is Really About
The original suit was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026.
The plaintiffs asked the court to determine whether INEC has a constitutional obligation to deregister parties that fail to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022.
Those thresholds require a party to win at least 25 per cent of votes in any state during a presidential election, or to secure at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level.
The NFFL alleged that all five parties failed to meet these benchmarks in both the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections.
In an unusual alignment, Attorney General of the Federation Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) — himself listed as a defendant — sided with the plaintiffs.
He argued that the continued existence of the five parties violated the constitution and undermined Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
All five parties, alongside INEC, have appealed the judgment and are asking the Court of Appeal to set it aside.
The July 7 hearing will determine whether that effort succeeds — and whether any of the parties will live to contest the 2027 elections.
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