The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking a stay of execution of a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
The electoral commission also aligned itself with the notice of appeal filed by the affected political parties, arguing that the lower court’s judgment should not take effect pending the determination of the appeal.
At Tuesday’s proceedings before a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, INEC, through its legal team led by Haliru Mohammed, expressed surprise over the decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court to deliver the judgment despite an earlier appellate court order halting its delivery.
According to the commission, the judgment was delivered without prior notice to the parties involved, contrary to expectations following the appellate court’s directive.
“My Lords, we are aware of an order made by this court on May 22, which stopped the delivery of the judgment that was initially scheduled for June 5,” Mohammed told the court.
“We were not notified by the lower court of any new date for the judgment. We only became aware of the decision through media reports and breaking news alerts.”
INEC maintained that the circumstances surrounding the judgment were unusual and informed the appellate court that it would not oppose the application seeking a stay of execution.
The development marks a significant twist in the legal battle over the status of the ADC and other affected political parties, with the outcome expected to have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal is expected to determine whether the controversial judgment should remain suspended pending the hearing and determination of the substantive appeal.
Comments