Appeals Court Defers Hearing Of Substantive Appeals By ADC, Four Others To July 7

The single sharpest fact in one or two punchy sentences. Who did what, where, when, and why it matters.

You wouldn't expect a Nigerian politician to be deregistered, but that's exactly what happened to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other parties. A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, has deferred the hearing of their substantive appeals, scheduled to take place on July 7.

So, what's the story behind this development? The five political parties – ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) – have been deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over their alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements to warrant their continued existence and participation in future elections.

According to the ruling, the deregistered parties failed to win at least 25% of votes in a state during a presidential election or secure at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level. This, the court held, is a requirement in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC's regulations.

And if you think that's bad, the deregistered parties are also prohibited from further parading themselves as registered political parties in the country. The high court had earlier ordered INEC to deregister them, and now, the appeals court is considering whether or not to overturn that decision.

But who are these five parties, and why do they matter? The ADC is one of Nigeria's oldest and most prominent political parties, and the deregistration has left many in the political sphere questioning the implications of the ruling.

The deregistration of these parties has sparked a heated debate in Nigeria's political scene, with many arguing that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent for the future of democracy in the country. And yet, others see it as a necessary step to weed out parties that have failed to meet the constitutional requirements for registration.

As the Appeals Court prepares to hear the substantive appeals on July 7, one thing is clear: the deregistration of these parties has sent shockwaves through the political establishment.

According to the sources, the deregistration was triggered by a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) against INEC and the deregistered parties. The NFFL had argued that the deregistered parties failed to meet the electoral performance thresholds set out in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).